


Bones and Magic

by ThatHalGuy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Frisk is Gender Neutral, Gen, chara is male, demontale, frisk is mute, monsters are demons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-05-10 06:05:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 34,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5573620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHalGuy/pseuds/ThatHalGuy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Humans had grown complacent before the earth split open and demons had poured out, slaughtering everything in their path. It's up to the stubborn survivors to gather demons and use their powers to drive the others back. And now, the humans are preparing to summon a demon into the physical plane. Maybe they should have been more specific when they called into the demonic realm...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Pal

**Author's Note:**

> Cliche as it is, I love demon AUs. And I've written 35 pages of this one idea. It's kinda gotten away from me. :/
> 
> It's about time I actually post some, which I've been putting off far too long.
> 
> Tags will change as I solidify ideas of who will actually be in my story.

Frisk swallowed hard, trying to steady their nerves as the circle was drawn. This was their first summoning, and they wanted to get it just right. Thankfully, they had friends to help, but even so, it was all on Frisk to get the result they wanted. Ever since the earth split open and began pouring out demons, the humans had been struggling to fight back without demonic power of their own. Hopefully with this new step, they could do more than project a demon's powers, and get an actual demon, in the flesh.

“That's the last of it. Ready, Frisk?” Sam, one of the other summoners, looked up from where he lit the last candle. Frisk nodded, taking a deep breath to calm down again. They felt a warm hand settle on their shoulder, and a soothing presence at their back. Toriel knew just how to comfort her summoner.

“Alright, everyone in place? ...Good. Let's do this.” Frisk steeled themselves as the others began the ritual, calling upon the demon with hopes that they'd get one they could work with. It took what seemed like ages, but finally, the candles flickered, the flame tinting blue rather than their natural yellow, and Frisk felt a new demon presence enter the circle that made Toriel's unseen hand tense a little. They found one. It was up to Sam and the other three to get the demon corporeal, and Frisk would be the one to claim it. Hopefully.

The demon didn't seem inclined to cooperate too much, though, and the four summoners had to focus all their energy into pulling the presence into their reality to make it take shape. Time stretched on forever in the minutes it took to watch a haze form in the circle that slowly solidified into... Bones? Frisk silently worried that something went wrong, that they'd somehow summoned the demon's bones, but not it. But the presence was still there. It lingered, seemingly surveying their work before finally,  _ finally _ shifting and taking hold. The bones sparked and pulled themselves together, ribs, spine, limbs... Finally the skull popped into place and the skeleton flashed blue for a second before sitting up, its skull seeming to be set in an eternal grin as it looked at each of the summoners.

Now it was Frisk's turn, since this seemed to be all they were going to get as it's body. Frisk pressed a small blade to their wrist, cutting it open and dripping blood into the circle, catching the skeleton's attention. It watched with pinprick white eyes in its hollow sockets as Frisk stepped forward, leaving Toriel's comforting presence outside the circle. This was between them and the demon. It looked them over, tilting its head to the side a fraction, as if it would be raising an eyebrow if it had such features. A voice echoed through the area, causing Frisk to freeze up when it sent a chill down their spine,

**Human. Don't you know how to greet a new pal?**

Frisk hesitated as the skeleton stood, only slightly taller than their own short stature,

**Come forward and shake my hand.**

The young summoner took a deep breath and squared their shoulders, walking closer to the skeleton as it offered its bony hand. Frisk took the offered hand, as cold as it was, and gave it a determined shake. They wouldn't be scared by this demon. When the skeleton let go, Frisk began signing,

_ “Drink and be bound.” _ The white eyes watched their hands, then met Frisk's steady gaze. It laughed quietly, then shrugged, taking Frisk's offered wrist to press its teeth to the cut. It didn't open its jaw, but Frisk still felt something hot lap up the droplets, and when the skeleton pulled back, there was only a small stain on its teeth. Frisk nodded, taking their hand back and signing again,  _ “Tell me your Name.” _ The skeleton's featureless skull seemed to grin wider somehow, and Frisk's mind was suddenly filled with icy, blizzard-like winds, a wide expanse of bones buried in ice and snow, and a heavy lethargy. Frisk blinked out of it when they realized their eyes had fallen closed, and shook themselves a bit to try and make the chill go away. They silently tried to form their mouth into what they'd heard, and then fingerspelled it,  _ “Sans.” _ It wasn't easy turning a demonic name into something a human could pronounce, but the demon nodded its approval of the approximation. This time when it spoke, the voice didn't seem to be from everywhere any more, now it came from the skeleton itself, though its jaw still didn't move.

“Sans. Close enough.” Frisk relaxed, smiling at Sans, and then began signing what the demon was allowed to do, and what not to do. It watched their hands without interruption, only nodding or laughing quietly now and then. Frisk was very careful with how they phrased everything, so it wouldn't be misunderstood or twisted into a loophole, and when they were done, Sans nodded, straightening up a bit, “Sounds good, kid, So, uh, you mind getting me some clothes? Feels a bit awkward to be standing around with my bones showing.” Frisk laughed quietly, nodding and leading the skeletal demon out of the circle. They had a backpack of clothes that they'd brought along, since Toriel had mentioned some demons actually liked wearing clothes. Sans dug through it and pulled out the pants and shirt within, shrugging and pulling them on. It would do for its projected decency.

“Well done, Frisk!” Sam came over, patting Frisk on the back with a grin, “Your first demon summoning went well!” Frisk smiled at the taller boy, nodding and puffing up a bit with pride, feeling Toriel settle into her usual place in their mind. Sans paused and looked over at Frisk, eying them closely for a moment before shrugging off whatever had caught its attention. They could finally go report to their boss that the summon was a success.

The five summoners and Sans headed into the Demon Prevention Force building, the demon's presence making heads turn to watch it. Frisk was still very young, so being in the Force was a head-turner enough, but to be a summoner with a corporeal as well was going to get them a lot more attention. At least Sans seemed familiar enough with human anatomy to be able to move around without any trouble. It kept its hands in its pockets, carrying an air of disinterest as it scanned the awed faces around them. Frisk stopped at the chief's office and knocked, the muffled 'come in' granting them and their demon entrance to the tidy office. Frisk went right up to the desk, while Sans opted to survey the room before approaching, Chief Summoner Charlie looking up to smile at her youngest summoner, only for her attention to be drawn to the skeleton that flopped into one of the chairs opposite her desk, sprawling across it and meeting her gaze,

“Sup.” Sans said after a moment of silence. “I'm Sans.” Charlie sighed, rolling her eyes before sitting up and clearing her throat,

“I see the summon went well. No complications?” Frisk shook their head, “Excellent. I've got a few forms you'll want to fill out, documenting the summon itself, and getting your demon in our records. The usual paperwork.” Frisk took the offered paperwork, and Charlie looked to Sans with a raised eyebrow, “You had no trouble communicating with it? I was worried that-”

“Nah.” Sans interrupted, “I don't mind the kid's silence, I know what they're saying.” It grinned at Charlie's skeptical look, “Let's just say I know a guy who speaks in hands.” She frowned a little, but let it go, focusing on Frisk again,

“You may go, Frisk, just make sure you get that paperwork filed soon, okay?” Frisk nodded, turning to head back out, Sans getting up as if gravity had increased and inertia's law had doubled its efforts to keep its bones in place. It followed Frisk back to their little cubicle, leaning against the wall while Frisk set to work. Others came by now and then to see the new demon for themselves, but didn't really bother Sans or Frisk, and when Frisk finished the paperwork, they turned to find Sans had fallen asleep standing up. Or at least it was snoring and its head hung limp as if it were asleep. As soon as Frisk reached out to wake it, the white light in its eye sockets blinked back on and it lifted its head, looking at Frisk,

“Are we done here?” It asked through a yawn, straightening up sluggishly, following Frisk at their signal. At least Sans seemed willing to cooperate without any fuss. Some other demons fought tooth and claw, even when only attached to a soul. Frisk filed away the papers and headed for the exit, getting stopped before they could leave with Sans,

“Frisk! Wait up!” They turned, relaxing as Sam jogged over, a little breathless as he slowed to a stop beside him, “I wanted to offer you a ride, so civilians don't freak out when they see your demon.” Frisk looked at Sans, who shrugged, then back at Sam, nodding in agreement. Sam led them to the parking garage, letting Sans flop onto the backseat of the car and sprawl while Frisk got the passenger's seat. Sam drove them home in silence, occasionally glancing back at Sans.

“He's pretty quiet, huh? Kinda like you.” Frisk turned to look at Sans, who seemed to have fallen asleep again, and laughed silently, miming sleeping where Sam could see it. He laughed and nodded, “I see. I never thought demons could be lazy.”

“You'd be surprised.” Apparently Sans wasn't actually sleeping, he just turned off the white light that made his eye sockets less empty. It was odd, but Frisk figured it was just this demon's quirks. “Some of the low-level demons are pretty lazy. That's why they never get stronger and can't manifest into anything coherent.” Sam raised an eyebrow, glancing at Sans in the rearview mirror,

“You seem pretty coherent.” He pointed out, and the skeleton scoffed, one white eye appearing to look at the two humans,

“I'm a skeleton. It doesn't take a lot of power to make a skeleton.” Frisk twisted around further in their seat so they could sign to their demon,

_ “Was your demon form bigger before we brought you here?” _ Sans shook its head, gesturing to itself,

“What you see is what I am. Not all demons have fancy-scary forms like some high-level ones.” Frisk nodded, perking up as the car pulled up to the apartment building they lived in. They hugged Sam as thanks for the ride, then got out, letting out Sans from the back to lead it inside, holding its skeletal hand as a sort of show that the demon was with them, even though the few residents who were in the halls did freeze up and stare at the short skeleton that passed. Thankfully Frisk's apartment was only three stories up, so they just had to take the stairs to get away from the civilians. They had put out notices to warn others about the arrival of a summoned demon, but reading about it and actually seeing it were very different.

Frisk unlocked his apartment door and let his new companion into the small living space, shutting and locking the door behind them, pointing out where the kitchen and bathroom were, where Frisk’s room was, and then finally pointing to the couch,

_ “You can sleep on the couch. Is that okay?” _ Sans nodded, going to sprawl on the couch as if it had always lived there,

“It’s soft, I can sleep on it just fine.” It replied, stretching out and getting settled, watching Frisk as they went to make themself dinner, pausing as they pulled out meat for a sandwich, turning to look back at Sans,

_ “What do you eat?” _ They asked, wondering how they would keep their demon fed. Blood was good enough for basic meals, but to give a demon the energy it needed to function well, they needed something specific. Thankfully, Toriel’s price was easy: She loved to read. Even if Frisk didn’t have anything really thrilling, they had a decent little collection of books Toriel could enjoy. Even flipping through a newspaper seemed to keep her happy. Sans propped itself up on its elbows, tilting its head at Frisk,

“Kid, I’m a skeleton. I don’t have a stomach.” Frisk was about to clarify, but Sans continued, “But if you’re offering, I could use some meat on these bones.” Frisk smiled at the little joke, but they almost jumped when Toriel burst out laughing in the back of their mind. Her laugh was contagious, and Frisk found themself giggling silently with her. Sans seemed to beam, “Heh, thought you’d like that. Anyway, don’t worry about how to feed me. I’ll come to you if I get hungry.” Frisk nodded, still smiling as Toriel snorted between giggles, and continued to make their sandwich.

Frisk settled at one end of the couch with one of Toriel’s books, Sans draped over the arm on the other end, observing the young human as they read about snails. They remained in companionable silence for an hour or so before Toriel spoke up,

_ It’s getting late, Frisk. You should get ready for bed. _

Frisk closed the book and stretched, going to put it on the little shelf, turning to find Sans still watching them. They stared back for a moment, then lifted their hands as a question came to mind,

_ “Do you have pronouns you prefer to go by?” _ Sans tilted its head in a way that made its unmoving grin look bigger.

“Male pronouns are fine, kid.” He replied, shifting to take up more of the couch and get comfy, “You heading to bed?” Frisk nodded, and Sans chuckled softly, “Night, kid. Don’t worry about me, I sleep like the dead.” Toriel and Frisk laughed together, and Frisk signed a goodnight as they went to brush their teeth and change into pyjamas. As they got into bed and closed their eyes, they thought over their new roommate. Sans was surprisingly expressive for having a featureless skull. He apparently liked telling jokes too, and Toriel seemed to find them hilarious. It was cute how she would snort while laughing. Maybe they could introduce Sans to her properly in the morning. He was possibly a low-level demon, considering his simplistic form and laziness, hopefully he could prove himself more useful in a fight. But that was for tomorrow. For now Frisk could drift off into dreams with Toriel humming a lullaby.


	2. The Bonehead and the Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk joins in with Sans's punning, and they met up with fellow summoner, Terry, who has the questionable honor of being connected to one of the fiercest demons the humans could get a hold of. Hopefully she won't tear the lazy skeleton to pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but I've been giving the humans gender neutral names. It's not bad, just an interesting observation I had after writing so much. Meh. We'll see if it sticks.

Frisk woke with their alarm, smacking the snooze button to silence it before yawning widely and sitting up, rubbing their eyes. They took their time getting to the shower and washing up, the weariness of summoning seeming to have finally caught up with them. Speaking of summoning… They peered into the living room and saw Sans curled up on the couch, still fast asleep. He really could sleep heavily, like he said. Frisk smiled softly, going to get dressed, pausing and eying their closet thoughtfully. Maybe Sans would like some other clothes too… Frisk pulled out a few different options for the skeleton, setting them by the couch for him to choose from when he woke up. The summoner went to make themself breakfast, going to sit on the couch to eat, since they didn’t bother with a dining table when it was just them. Sans shifted, but made no indication of being awake yet. Frisk suspected he might be anyway, if his “sleeping” yesterday was any hint. Did demons like him even need sleep? He seemed to like it, even if he didn’t need to rest.

Frisk finished their breakfast, then got up to wash their dishes. When they turned, they jolted back slightly in surprise. Sans had somehow gotten up, changed clothes, and gotten to the kitchen counter to lean on it without making any sound or alerting Toriel. How was he so quiet on- oh. He’d apparently found some fuzzy slippers to cover his feet. Where did he get those? Did Frisk even own slippers? Sans grinned at Frisk as if nothing was wrong, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets- Was that even Frisk’s??- and propping his elbow on the counter,

“Morning, kid. You’re up early. Off to catch some worms?” Toriel snickered quietly in the back of Frisk’s consciousness, and the young human offered a smile,

_ “I like getting up around now. More of the day to experience.” _ Sans snickered, rolling his eyes. That was weird to watch, honestly. The white glow of his eyes actually moved like an eye should, but faintly lit up the edges of his sockets. Frisk had the feeling that the light would be visible in the dark, too, and that image seemed kind of intimidating.

“You humans and your wanting to be up early. Weirdo.” One of Sans’s hands emerged to ruffle Frisk’s hair before returning to his pocket. Frisk shook their hair back into place and smiled,

_ “We have to patrol with Terry today.” _ Sans tilted his head at the name,  _ “Terry is one of the summoners. She and I patrol the area near the Fissure for demons causing trouble.” _ Sans scoffed, shrugging,

“Alright, then. Ready when you are, kid.” Frisk nodded, leading the way out of the apartment and down the stairs, which Sans made a point to complain about. Toriel teased him in Frisk’s mind, so they relayed the message,

_ “There’s no need to be so down about this. You might need to step off.” _ Sans paused, staring at Frisk, who started to grin with Toriel’s giggles, then the skeleton began laughing too, slinging an arm around Frisk’s shoulders and continuing their descent,

“Heheh, that was a good one kiddo.” He reached up, tapping on Frisk’s head lightly with a knuckle, “Knock knock.” Frisk scrunched up their nose, but played along anyway,

_ “Who’s there?” _

“Dishes.”

_ “Dishes who?” _

“Dishes a bad joke.” Frisk and Toriel laughed, the human using Sans’s arm for balance so they didn’t trip on a stair. Once they recovered, Frisk reached up to knock on Sans’s shoulder. “Who’s there?”

_ “Old lady.” _ Sans grinned, his eyes seeming brighter,

“Old lady who?”

_ “Oh, I didn’t know you could yodel!” _ Frisk grinned proudly when Sans started laughing, Toriel laughing at her own joke. They continued passing jokes back and forth all the way out of the apartments, Frisk perking up when they saw a tall woman waiting by her car, waving to her as she straightened up,

“Hey, Frisk! Oh, this must be your new demon!” She turned to Sans, who offered his hand, “I’m Terry.”

“Sans. Nice to meetcha.” He grinned at her, tilting his head slightly, “You got anyone accompanying you?” Terry looked confused for a moment before realizing what he meant,

“Oh! No, not corporeal, but I’ve got a rider.” She smiled at him, gesturing to her car, “Shall we?” Frisk went to the passenger’s side while Sans took the backseat again, stretching across it,

“Who’s the lucky demon?” He asked, once Terry got the car started,

“Oh, she’s this real feisty demon who tried to claw me open when I summoned her. Her name’s Undyne.” Sans perked up, actually sitting up to lean against Frisk’s seat and look at Terry,

“Undyne, huh? Fish I could talk to her, but I don’t trust her with a car.” He snickered, “I’ll just sea aboat talking with her when we get to the Fish-ure.” Frisk giggled silently into their hand, Terry laughing as well,

“Oh my god, Frisk, your demon makes puns? That’s so great! By the way, Undyne says ‘you’re so lucky I can’t kill you, you lazy sack of shit’.”

“Hello to you too, Undyne.” Sans replied with a laugh, flopping back onto the seat and setting his hands behind his skull, “You haven’t properly introduced me to your companion, Frisk.” Frisk turned in their seat, signing to Sans,

_ “Her name is Toriel. She really likes your jokes.” _ Sans waved at Frisk, grinning,

“Hey, Toriel. Goat to see you.” Sans snickered as Frisk laughed, silently echoing Toriel. They continued talking with Sans, tossing jokes back and forth, much to Terry’s amusement, until she pulled them into a parking space near the edge of the quarantine zone around the Fissure. Frisk composed themself as they got out of the car, following Terry’s lead as she started out on their patrol. The streets were quiet for a while, but as they got a little closer to the Fissure, Toriel’s presence became tense, setting an unseen hand on Frisk’s shoulder. They could see the faint gleam of scales starting to form on Terry’s cheeks, a sign that Undyne was ready to lash out at any threat. Only Sans seemed relaxed, unconcerned with the area they were in.

The first demon they came across was barely a level one, a jumble of limbs and eyes that struggled to keep itself together. Frisk motioned to Sans, wanting to see how he would handle the creature, and the skeleton shrugged, pulling one hand from his jacket, a crackle of energy flickering along his fingers into the air to form a white bone, which Sans sent toward the barely-stable demon with a lazy flick of his wrist, the bone smacking the beast where its head might have been, making it reel briefly in confusion before turning to look at them, making a garbled noise as it lurched and staggered toward Sans, who created another bone and flicked it at the demon. It caught it in a jagged maw, gnawing on the magical thing, which made Sans shrug in boredom,

“Eh. It’ll die it eventually. It’s content with its chew-toy.” Terry scowled, projecting Undyne’s intimidating demeanor,

“What do you mean eventually?! It should be dead already!” She raised her arm, summoning a green spear and throwing it at the distracted creature. It shrieked pitifully as it was torn through and fell into a quivering mass, and then a sad puddle of half-formed body parts. Undyne rounded on Sans, shouting at him for being lazy until Terry reigned her in and got control of her demon,

“Ahem… Sorry about that, Sans. She’s pretty riled up about you.” Sans shrugged it off, letting his hand disappear into his pocket again,

“It’s Undyne. She’s always like that.” He walked over to what was left of the demon, inspecting it before sighing, “It’s pretty well dead now. Kinda sad, really.” Frisk went to his side, careful not to step in the gooey mess, looking at Sans and tilting their head,

_ “Why didn’t you kill it?” _ They signed, and Sans shrugged,

“You saw it. It was barely corporeal to begin with. Barely sentient. It would have been eaten by a bigger demon anyway. But the bones slowly sap a demon’s energy. It’s a gentler death than a spear ripping it apart.”

_ “You and Undyne seem to know each other.” _ Frisk noted, looking to the skeleton for an explanation,

“Oh, yeah. A lot of demons know Undyne, she’s one of the best fighters. She’s acquainted with a few other demons I know, so she knows me through them.” Frisk nodded, heading back to Terry to continue their patrol. It was a quiet day, Sans distracted the low-level demons they came across, and Undyne took care of them. Frisk worried about their demon and how Undyne kept yelling at him, but he seemed unaffected by her insults and just made jokes instead.

As the sky was turning reddish with the sunset, Sans quieted down, leaving an uneasy air around them that they had been able to ignore when he had made them laugh. Now everything was tense and too still. Frisk slipped their hand into Terry’s for a bit of comfort, gnawing on their lip and surveying the area around them. Something felt far too thick in the air.

With no warning, the earth suddenly heaved under their feet, and the humans were thrown to the ground. Frisk twisted around, trying to see their assailant, their breath catching in their throat when they saw a huge monster made of twisting vines and thorns, one vine wrapped tightly around Sans, threatening to crush him. Frisk didn’t chance thinking of a plan, just threw a hand out and called upon Toriel’s magic. Sparks crackled and formed a fireball before their outstretched hand, and Frisk focused all the energy they could on the vine suspending the skeleton. The fireball launched in an arc, striking the vine and catching it on fire, burning through it and letting Sans fall back to the ground, limp and unmoving. Frisk threw another fireball at the viney creature, knocking it back away from the skeleton. Terry threw a spear to chase it back further, the demon snarling and turning to skulk away. With it gone, Frisk rushed over to Sans, pulling the vines off him and trying to find some hint that he was okay. His clothes were punctured and torn from the thorns, but he was still intact.

“Sans!” Terry hurried over as well, her skin covered in greenish scales. Undyne looked really worried. “Don’t you dare die now, you bastard! You only just got here! Wake up, you lazy fuck!” Sans’s eyes blinked on, and he looked up at them, laughing quietly,

“Aw, would you miss me, ‘dyne? How sweet.” She growled, standing abruptly to cross her arms,

“You’re the first corporeal demon we’ve gotten on our side. Even if you’re a weak-ass baby, the humans need you.” She huffed, turning away and storming off. Frisk offered a hand to help Sans up, hugging him. They were relieved to have their skeleton friend survive. Sans set an arm around them, sighing softly, “Aw, come on, kid, I’m fine. I might not be the toughest demon, but I can handle an overgrown rosebush.” Frisk nuzzled into his jacket a bit, huffing quietly. Sans paused, then set both arms around Frisk, giving him a little hug, “C’mon, kid, I’m fine. You don’t gotta worry about me.” Frisk shook their head and hugged him a little tighter.

Sans waited until they finally pulled away, ruffling Frisk’s hair gently, giving them a grin and leading them back to Terry’s car to head home. Frisk thanked Terry for the ride, heading to their apartment and flopping onto the couch, feeling drained. Sans settled beside them, a hand rubbing their back soothingly.

“You gonna be okay, kid?” He asked, Frisk nodding a bit. “Don’t worry too much about me. I know my limits.”

_ “That’s why I’m worried. You seem to have really limited power, and I don’t want you to die so soon.” _ Frisk signed, picking themself up to lean against Sans, sighing heavily,  _ “You’re my responsibility, after all.” _ Sans set his arm around them, providing some comfort,

“You can’t kill what you can’t hit. I’m really good at dodging usually, that thorny one just surprised me.” Frisk nodded, curling up and telling themself that Sans knew what he was doing. They just had to trust him.

Frisk found themself drifting off as they continued cuddling Sans, only waking up with Toriel’s nudging that they needed to get some food before trying to sleep. They yawned and slipped out from under Sans’s arm, going to make some pasta, falling back into their evening routine. Sans stayed quiet that evening, already asleep when Frisk went to bed.


	3. I Know a Shortcut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans reveals another interesting quirk about himself, which comes in handy when he and Frisk are called to fight a demon. Too bad Undyne can't stand his laziness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll be interesting to see how many chapters I've actually written, I haven't counted. I just mark where a good stopping point is and call it a chapter.

Frisk woke to the sound of their alarm once again, mechanically going through the morning routine and making themself breakfast. They didn’t really feel awake this morning, yawning frequently and going to flop onto the couch, curling up with Sans. For a skeleton, he was surprisingly comfortable, none of his bones poked them awkwardly when they snuggled into him.

“Not such an early bird today, huh?” Sans’s voice was quiet, but teasing. Frisk huffed and nuzzled into his jacket, curling up tighter. Too tired to sign, they just pressed a finger to Sans’s teeth as a shushing motion. He chuckled softly, setting an arm around Frisk and letting them get a little more rest. When Frisk’s phone started ringing, the young human grimaced and tried to bury their face in Sans’s ribcage. He laughed and fished it out from their pocket, answering it.

“The kid can’t talk, why are you calling?” He was quiet, listening for a bit, “Yeah, this is Sans. What’s up?” The voice on the other end was too muffled for Frisk to understand, “Oh, okay. Yeah, I’ll get the kid there, no problem. ...Nah, it’s cool. They’ll be there.” He hung up, nudging Frisk, “C’mon, kiddo, they need you at the station. Your boss wants to talk to you.” Frisk huffed, pouting as they picked themself up, straightening their outfit and taking their phone back. Sans got up and stopped them from heading to the door, grinning as he took their hand, “Come on, I know a shortcut.” Frisk blinked, confused, only to gasp as they were tugged toward Sans and the world around them went dark. They choked, struggling to find air in this void, only to just as suddenly be in a lit area, oxygen rushing into their lungs. They coughed a bit, Sans steadying them until Frisk could stand on their own, signing shakily,

_ “What was that?!” _ Sans’s unmoving grin was more infuriating than amusing right now,

“A shortcut. I hate walking everywhere, so I take shortcuts.” Sans answered easily, sticking his hands in his pockets, and god Frisk wanted to punch him. Instead they took a slow breath and looked around, they were standing in the parking garage by the entrance to the elevators. The anger of suddenly being pulled through a place where air didn’t exist faded into wonder.

_ “You can teleport?” _ They asked, and Sans nodded. Frisk looked around again, amazed, then jumped when the elevator dinged open. When did he call that? Sans ushered Frisk into the elevator and pushed the button for the correct floor, making no effort to explain. Frisk spent the elevator trip thinking over this new knowledge, then shook it off when the doors opened again and they headed for the chief’s office. Charlie looked surprised when Frisk walked in, sitting up a little straighter,

“Frisk, how- I called you barely five minutes ago.” She set her pen down, trying to understand, but Frisk simply gestured to Sans and shrugged. Sans responded by flopping into the seat he’d claimed last time he’d visited, his white eyes turning off as he slumped down, the fur lining his hood burying half his face. Charlie frowned at his blatant disrespect, but set the issue aside to focus on Frisk. “How have you been holding up? Its upkeep is not too draining, is it?” Frisk shook his head,

_ “He’s very low-maintenance, actually. He doesn’t use a lot of energy at all, really.” _ They signed, and Charlie frowned faintly,

“How does it fare in combat?”

_ “He didn’t do much fighting. Terry and Undyne killed the low-level demons we encountered.” _ Charlie sighed, rubbing her temple,

“We may want to consider summoning another, if yours can’t prove itself useful in a fight.”

“Wow, rude.” Sans said abruptly, turning his hollow eye sockets toward Charlie before their light flickered on, “Lesser demons like those weren’t worth fighting. Undyne just likes killing everything.” Charlie scowled at him, crossing her arms,

“And when it’s a more powerful demon? What will you do then?” She challenged, Sans rolling his eyes,

“I’ll do what needs to be done. Happy? Man, you’re as bad as Undyne.” Charlie’s scowl darkened, but she forced herself to hold her tongue, sitting back and clearing her throat,

“In any case,” She looked to Frisk again, “Be prepared to help if we decide to summon another. You may go, Frisk.” Frisk nodded, Sans getting up to follow them out to their cubicle. Today was a day of paperwork, but after lunch Sam jogged by and knocked on the wall to get Frisk’s attention,

“Yo, Frisk! We got a Level 3 causing trouble near the quarantine line. Wanna help?” Frisk nodded, getting up. They followed Sam to the elevators, but Sans’s hand landed on Frisk’s shoulder, stopping them. He grinned at their questioning look, one eye flickering off, then back on. A wink.

“I know a shortcut.” Frisk debated briefly, then gestured to Sam, who was waiting for them with the elevator, “One passenger limit. Sorry, kiddo.” They nodded, turning to Sam,

_ “We’ll meet you there.” _ Sam started to protest, but Frisk let Sans pull them down the hall, taking a deep breath and bracing for the void. This time they felt Sans’s hand tighten a bit before the blackness swallowed them with the next step, and they looked at the skeleton. His eyes did glow faintly, they noted. The next step Sans took, they reemerged into the world, Frisk’s eyes struggling to adapt to the light change as they let out their breath and relaxed. Other patrols had already gathered to corral the demon, and more were arriving to assist. Frisk looked around to see what needed doing, and saw that the demon they were fighting was the viney one that had attacked Sans. Frisk moved forward, calling upon Toriel to be ready if they needed her.

“Frisk!” Terry jogged over, transparent fins shimmering on the side of her head, “You got here fast! Where’s Sam?” Frisk shrugged, Sans strolling up to wave at Terry, who slipped into Undyne’s harsh tone,

“Took you long enough. Do you realize how long we’ve been at this?!” Sans only shrugged, glancing at the vine demon, “Maybe this time you’ll be more useful! Come on!” Undyne-Terry grabbed Sans by his shoulder and pulled him into the fight, Frisk following. Terry summoned a spear, throwing it at the demon, making it roar in pain and round on her, only to be smacked in the eye by a bone from Sans, who grinned at the furious creature,

“Hey there, ugly. Remember me?” He laughed, creating another bone and twirling it in his hand, “Shall we dance?” It snapped out a vine, but Sans merely danced to the side before it could strike him, jogging around in a wide arc. The other summoners backed off to let Sans handle the beast without any crossfire from them, and it let Sans circle the demon before taking off with a laugh, “Catch me if you can!” The demon roared, lunging after him, and Frisk bit their lip, worried what would happen to Sans. The skeleton jogged around a corner, and the demon rushed after him, its roaring starting to fade away the further it got.

“...How far is he going to go?” Terry asked, Undyne’s scales fading from her face,

“How far is who gonna go?” Frisk and Terry jumped and whirled around, finding Sans flopped on the ground behind them, breathless, “Whew… All that running… I’m bone tired.” Frisk relaxed, smiling at Sans and going to hug him. He wasn’t even scratched, just winded from running. Which… Actually made no sense, seeing as he had no lungs. “Aw, kiddo, you weren’t worried about me, were you?” Frisk giggled and shook their head, cuddling him, privately relieved. Sam finally arrived, looking confused,

“Wait, did you kill it already?” He asked, disappointed. Terry shook her head, Undyne snarling from her mouth,

“ _ Sans _ lured it away, rather than killing it.” She glared at Sans, who had flopped onto his back, Frisk dabbing his skull with a cloth to wipe off the sweat that had somehow formed. Sans’s biology was very odd.

“It could come back…” Sam said slowly, eying Sans, still looking disappointed,

“Nah.” Sans shrugged, looking up at the summoner, “It’s pretty stupid. It’s already forgotten about us and gone to hunt elsewhere.” Sam pouted anyway, quietly grumbling at missing the chance to fight the demon.

“Anyway, we should help clean up and report to the chief.” Terry straightened up, setting herself to the task that didn’t need Undyne’s constant nagging on Sans. The skeleton stayed on the ground until he deemed himself rested, letting Sam take them home.


	4. A Price You Can't Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk's concerns start to build as they try to understand their demon companion, and they look to Undyne for some answers, since Sans won't tell them anything. Surely she knows enough about the skeleton to shed some light on his enigmatic abilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, short chapter. More like a setup for what will happen later.

The week was fairly quiet after that, the usual paperwork or patrolling, but never anything higher than a Level 2. Sans was usually unhelpful in actually killing demons, and Frisk caught glimpses of Terry’s irritation at having to fight it herself, or the chief’s disappointed expression as Frisk reported to her. The young summoner worried that Sans’s actions would push Charlie into ordering him desummoned, which they didn’t want. Sans was funny and ready to crack jokes at the faintest prompting, and while he didn’t fight, he at least kept the demons from attacking his human. Frisk couldn’t get any solid answers out of the grinning skeleton about why he didn’t fight, other than it was tiring, and he didn’t like wasting energy. Frisk suspected that he had a Price that was too costly for the little human and didn’t want to drain what energy he had. He had said he’d come to Frisk when he needed to feed, but had yet to actually approach them with his Price. Frisk had Toriel’s Price paid daily to keep her ready for anything, but Sans… How low on energy  _ was _ he? Was he starving himself so he wouldn’t injure Frisk? The thought scared them, so they mentioned it to Terry during a patrol.

_ “Does Undyne know how much energy Sans has?” _ They asked, and Terry blinked a bit, confused as she got an answer,

“She says she can never tell with him. He’s always seemed weak, but he can manage a physical form and use his magic.” Frisk frowned, glancing back at Sans, “What’s on your mind, Frisk?”

_ “He’s never needed to feed. I’m worried that he’s starving himself.” _ Terry’s brow furrowed with concern, setting a hand on Frisk’s shoulder with a gentle squeeze,

“Mention it to Charlie. She’ll want to know.” She gave them a small smile, “It might give her the push she needed to go for another summon.” Frisk nodded, wringing their hands a bit as they continued to patrol the deserted streets around the Fissure. They shared their concerns with Charlie, whose face creased with a frown as she processed the news.

“This is… Very serious. We may need to accelerate plans to get a backup corporeal in case yours doesn’t pull through.” Frisk nodded a bit, feeling sorry for Sans. They would let him know, since it felt rude to keep him out of something that concerned him.

“What, they wanna replace me? Heh. I knew your boss would get fed up with me.” He ruffled Frisk’s hair to stop their worried frowning, “Aw, don’t make that face, kiddo. There are far more capable demons to summon. Like Undyne.” He grinned at them, “I’m sure you’re ‘dyne’ to meet her.” Frisk couldn’t help but giggle silently, nodding, “There, see? Now you’ve got something to look forward to. I don’t gotta be there, right?” Frisk shrugged, then shook their head, “Cool. Then I’ll probably wait in your cubicle or something.” Frisk nodded, relaxing a bit, but still wanting to ask him the question that kept nagging at them,

_ “When do you need to feed?” _ Sans sighed and shook his head, his permanent smile looking almost weary,

“Trust me, kid. I’m not hungry. If I need it, I’ll come to you, just like I said before.” Frisk didn’t look convinced, but let it drop.


	5. A Great New Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another summoning has been approved, and everyone's excited to see what will show up. No one's expecting what actually does appear, and they certainly aren't expecting the demon to be so eager to meet them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More summoners introduced in this chapter! One of them is kinda obvious, the other I'm hoping is still very vague.

The next time the new summon came up was two days later. The office was buzzing with excited chatter, and when Sam spotted Frisk and Sans, he jogged over to them with a wide grin,

“Frisk! Chief approved another summon! She’s still trying to decide who should do it but- Dude! We’re gonna get another one!” He bounced in place, unable to contain his eagerness, “I can’t wait to see what we get next!” Frisk smiled and nodded, going to join the other summoners and listen to their hopes for what they’d summon, or which rider they’d bring out. Terry joked that Undyne was better off in her head where she couldn’t actually verbally or physically lash out at anyone. Frisk giggled at that, settling in Sans’s lap on one of the chairs. They had discovered he was an amazing cuddler, somehow his body was really comfortable despite being nothing but bone. He had the illusion of softness over the hard edges or something. The rest of the day was spent as an office-wide gathering to do paperwork or talk about the upcoming summon. When Charlie emerged from her office, she surveyed the attentive faces of her summoners and set her hands on her hips,

“I’ve decided.” She stated, a few people sitting up a little straighter. “...Sam. You will be the one to claim this one.” Sam leapt up with a cheer, the others applauding for him, “I’ve made a list of others who can assist you with the summoning. Choose wisely.” She handed him the paper, and he looked like he’d cry out of sheer joy as he thanked her. Sans just snickered quietly by Frisk’s ear, offering no comment of whatever he’d found funny.

The summon was scheduled for the next night, and Sam had almost instantly chosen Frisk from his list. They were touched that he wanted their help with the summon. They went over the procedure and careful phrasing they had used to bind Sans, helping him be well prepared for whatever would be called. The other three included Terry, who admitted to being really curious about how it played out. Summoning a rider was easier than making a demon corporeal, after all. As the scheduled summon drew near, Frisk got up from their desk, patting Sans’s head where he’d slumped in the corner to nap. They joined Sam and Terry on the way to the summoning room, Sam practically vibrating with excitement. The circle was already waiting, and the candles were being set in place by one of the other summoners, who greeted them. Chris, if Frisk remembered correctly. She was at Frisk’s summon to help get everything just right. Her rider was an analytical demon, though Frisk hadn’t caught their name yet, just knew that they were possibly some kind of yellow reptile, judging by the gleam of scales shimmering over Chris’s skin as she got the candles in just the right spot. The demon was very particular about how the circle was arranged, and no doubt made summoning Sans that much easier. The fifth summoner Frisk didn’t know very well, as they had not been at Frisk’s summon. Still, they smiled and waved at him, and he waved back quietly.

“Alright, it’s ready.” Chris finally announced, standing up and brushing the dust off her knees as she went to grab the book used to summon demons. They all took their places, and the fifth summoner pulled out a lighter, flicking it open to light each candle before finally stopping in their spot, tucking the lighter back in their pocket. Sam took a deep breath, composing himself. He nodded to Chris, and she opened the book, beginning the ritual. Frisk waited quietly, signing along with the parts that needed their incantations. This time, the energy was radically different. Instead of Sans’s casual appearance, this energy seemed to rush in, the candle’s flames flaring to twice their normal length and blazing a vibrant orange. There was so much to this demon’s energy, it was all Frisk could do not to feel drunkenly giddy on the rush of raw enthusiasm it brought. Toriel kept them steady with warmth on their shoulders, and they focused the energy, concentrating to urge it to take form. The circle crackled with orange energy, drawing itself inward and compacting. Frisk was surprised to see this one form into a skeleton, similar to Sans. It sparked with the orange light, clicking together decisively and sitting up abruptly. It was significantly taller than Sans, even when sitting. Its limbs were almost gangly, and its skull seemed longer than Sans’s as well. Frisk stared in awe as the skeleton’s orange energy began to fade into its bones, making it shudder before looking around. Sam stepped forward with his wrist dripping blood, and the skeleton accepted the offered pact readily. It tilted its head in the way Frisk knew was a grin, and it opened its jaw,

“Greetings, human!” Its voice was jarringly loud and boisterous, but cheerful nonetheless, “It’s a pleasure to meet you!” Sam smiled, sitting in front of the demon,

“Tell me your Name, please.” The skeleton sat up a little straighter, clearly as eager as Sam had been about the summon. Its jaw opened to speak again, and Frisk’s mind was filled with a whirlwind, the sound of bones rattling together in the gusts. Frisk blinked out of it, wondering if his name was really so simple. Sam frowned, trying to process it, “Pa… Papyrus.” The skeleton nodded eagerly, puffing out its ribcage proudly,

“That’s right! I am the great Papyrus!” Frisk smiled, noting to Toriel about how humble it was, earning a little giggle from her. Sam grinned with Papyrus, then began going over his rules for the skeleton, who listened intently, finally nodding, “Then it’s a deal! I look forward to working with you, human!” They both stood, and Sam led the new demon out of the circle. As soon as they had cleared it, Terry rushed over, shimmering fins flared wide on her cheeks,

“ _ Papyrus?! _ ” She looked stunned, looking the skeleton over, “What the- How the hell did they get YOU into this?!” Frisk realized it was Undyne speaking through Terry, Papyrus blinking a few times before brightening up, abruptly scooping Terry into a bearhug that actually lifted her off the ground slightly,

“Undyne!! It’s so good to see you again!! I hope you have been well, I have been training hard since you joined the humans, and now look! I’m here!” Terry-Undyne coughed and pried herself loose of the crushing grip, glaring at Papyrus,

“If I’d known you’d be summoned, I would have insisted I be summoned first!” Papyrus laughed, waving off her anger easily,

“Don’t be so upset, Undyne! I’m sure you will get your chance!” Frisk giggled, moving toward the doors to let them all out into the rest of the building again. To their surprise, Sans was waiting in the hall, an air of anticipation around him. Frisk wanted to ask why, but they had to get out of the way as Papyrus and Terry-Undyne strode through the door, bantering together, with Sam following in wonder.

“...Pap...?” Sans said softly, cutting off the half-argument, Papyrus’s head turning sharply toward the sound. Its face seemed to light up even more, and it rushed forward to scoop up the smaller skeleton into its arms, Sans returning the tight embrace,

“Brother!! Oh, it’s so  _ wonderful _ to see you again!!” Frisk’s mouth formed a little ‘o’ of realization as they watched the pair. They looked similar because they were siblings. No wonder Sans had wanted to be there, he probably sensed who it was when Papyrus’s energy exploded into the circle. Frisk smiled at the little reunion, Terry finally regaining control of her face and shaking off the greenish scales and fins. Undyne was always bullying her way into using Terry’s mouth to snap at people.

“Well then,” Sam began, laughing a bit, “looks like a lucky draw. Hopefully Papyrus can do more than Sans.” Frisk smiled sheepishly and nodded, going over to the skeletons and tapping Papyrus’s femur. The tall skeleton looked down, smiling in that now-familiar skeletal way,

“Greetings, human! How can I help you?” Frisk giggled silently, lifting their hands,

_ “Hello, Papyrus. My name is Frisk, I’m the one who summoned Sans.” _ They signed, and Papyrus watched with quiet wonder before looking to Sans,

“Is this true, brother?” Sans nodded, grinning back at Papyrus,

“Yeah, bro. This kid caught me fair and square. They’re pretty cool though. They love my jokes.” Frisk smiled at that, making a mental note that Papyrus might also identify as male. Papyrus considered this news carefully before brightening up,

“Then I shall offer them the same protection I give to you! After all, a friend of my brother is a friend of mine!” Papyrus shifted his hold on Sans, scooping up Frisk as well, who was startled by his apparent strength, clinging to his shoulder to keep from slipping back down to the floor. They were now level with Sans, who was easily settled against his brother’s opposite shoulder, as if he belonged there,

“Welcome to the Papyrus ride, kid. Hope you enjoy your stay.” He stifled a yawn, resting his head on Papyrus’s shoulder and going limp as the light of his eyes faded into the darkness. Frisk smiled, shifting to get comfortable on Papyrus’s hip, finding him similarly lacking in painful edges that would dig into their body. Even when Papyrus began to stride down the hall, Frisk wasn’t jostled except with the soft bobbing of his steps. They could see why Sans slept so readily here.

“Hey- Papyrus! Wait up!” Frisk looked back, seeing Sam jogging to catch up, leaving the others to be bewildered. Sam walked beside Papyrus up to the main offices, and Frisk had the delight of seeing into the many cubicles from their new vantage point. Papyrus was so tall, it was really fun to be so much higher up. Sam led him to Charlie’s office, the chief summoner raising her eyebrow at the scene presented to her. Frisk smiled and waved, then looped their arms around Papyrus’s neck to settle similarly to Sans.

“...I see the summoning was a success.” She begain, looking to Sam, who nodded, flopping into one of the chairs,

“Yeah. His name’s Papyrus. He’s apparently Sans’s brother.” Charlie raised her eyebrow higher, but didn’t comment, “I can fill out the paperwork now.” Charlie nodded, handing it over,

“...Frisk, why are you in its arms?” She asked after a moment of silence, Frisk giggling softly and moving their hands so they could sign properly,

_ “He picked me up. He’s very comfortable, so I haven’t asked to be let down.” _ Charlie pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing quietly.

“Sam, be sure your demon does not get out of hand. You may go.” Sam led the way back out and to the break room where Papyrus sat on one of the couches, Frisk slipping off to his side, Sans getting adjusted again to rest in his lap with his head on Papyrus’s ribcage. Frisk found it adorable to see them cuddling, letting Sam work on his forms.


	6. What's in a Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Papyrus in the human world, things start to get complicated. He's a skeleton with standards, after all. Frisk is caught in the middle between their friend and his demon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing a little twist here. I think this is about where the story started to drift for me. I didn't notice it at first, but this is where I got the first hint of straying from my original idea. It still works, it's just that characters like to adapt themselves as I write them.

Frisk found themself being woken up as they were set down on a soft surface, shifting and rubbing their eyes to look around. Oh. This was Sam’s car. When had they fallen asleep? They could have sworn they were just in the break room leaning against Papyrus’s side. Further inspection found Papyrus setting Sans onto the backseat beside Frisk, still sound asleep, the taller skeleton shutting the car door and climbing into the passenger’s seat. Frisk yawned and pulled their seatbelt across themselves, watching Sam start the car. The drive home was quiet, with only Sans’s soft snoring drifting through the silence. Papyrus occasionally glanced back at the sleeping skeleton, his skull settled in something resembling a fond smile. Frisk smiled softly and watched the buildings go by until they reached their own. Sam parked and turned to grin at Frisk,

“Need some help waking him up?” He offered, Frisk laughing silently and shaking their head. They simply leaned over to shake Sans gently, the skeleton’s white pupils appearing and looking to Frisk,

“Oh, are we home already? That was fast.” He stretched, getting out of the car, and Frisk followed, confused when Papyrus got out too.

“Wh- Papyrus, get back in the car. You’re coming home with me.” Sam leaned over, trying to grab him before he got too far. Papyrus looked back, offering a smile,

“Forgive me, human, but I will be staying with Sans. I promised I would look after him.” Sam tried to object, only met with the door shutting. He scrambled to get out of his car,

“Papyrus.” He said firmly, “I summoned you. You agreed to my terms.” Papyrus hesitated, looking from Sans to the human and then back. Frisk could see the conflict in his head. “Get in the car.” Sam ordered, and for a brief moment Papyrus took a step back toward the car, then stopped, watching Sam carefully,

“...No.” He replied stubbornly, crossing his arms, “I made a promise to my brother. It is one I intend to keep.” Sam narrowed his eyes, drawing himself up to stand tall,

“I am your summoner. You are bound to me.” He retorted, interrupted by Sans scoffing,

“You don’t know how my brother does things.” Sans smiled lazily at Sam, slipping his hands into his pockets, “In his mind, he doesn’t owe you anything. You brought him into this world, sure, but you haven’t offered him anything that will earn his loyalty. He’s only just met you.” Sam flinched back a bit as Sans’s sockets went dark with an eerie smile, “His brother means more to him than one human.” Sans turned, heading into the apartment complex, Papyrus following as if nothing was wrong. Frisk hesitated, offering Sam an apology before following the skeletons. Frisk waited until they were in their apartment before turning to frown at Sans.

_ “Why would you say that?!” _ They signed angrily,  _ “Why were you mean to Sam?!” _ Sans paused on his way to the couch, regarding Frisk,

“No one bosses my brother around but Undyne. And even she can’t make him do anything.” He said simply, going to flop onto the couch while Papyrus hovered nearby. Frisk stomped their foot to make Sans look at them,

_ “Sam has his Name! He gave him his Name!” _ Sans snorted, rolling onto his side,

“Please. He could barely get Papyrus to respond when he used it. I know my brother better than anyone, he wouldn’t give his full name to some random summoner who offers him blood.” Frisk’s eyes widened slowly, looking to Papyrus, who just smiled gently,

“Sans taught me to never give my Name to just anyone.” He admitted, “He made me promise to only give it to someone I could trust with it.” Frisk looked between them in silent amazement. Did that mean Frisk didn’t know Sans’s Name either? No, he- when he gave his name, it echoed to their very soul where they would never forget it, just like Toriel’s. Papyrus’s barely affected them. The difference was noticeable. Frisk sighed, slumping their shoulders and shaking their head,

_ “You do know we’ll have to tell the chief that Papyrus isn’t a fully bound demon, right? He’s a potential threat to everyone, now.” _ Papyrus looked indignant, standing tall,

“I would never harm anyone without good reason!” He protested, and Sans chuckled, sitting up to pat the cushion beside him,

“Calm down, bro. They’ll learn. Now come sit down, I’ve got a lot of lost bro-time to make up for.” Papyrus’s mood lifted almost instantly, and he settled on the couch, letting Sans claim his lap again. Frisk sighed and went to go make themself dinner so they could curl up with Toriel’s book of choice for the evening. Halfway through the book, their ears were filled with a strange static and warped noises, like someone had turned up the white noise on a broken record. Frisk looked up, turning and seeing the brothers… Talking? Papyrus’s jaw was moving like he was talking, but Frisk could only hear the indecipherable noises. They stared at the skeleton, trying to understand the noise. Sans noticed their gaze and the noise stopped abruptly, both skeletons turning to look at them in return.

_ “What… was that?” _ They signed slowly, baffled. Sans laughed a bit, shrugging,

“It’s, uh… Kinda like a secret language. Me and Papyrus are the only ones who can understand it.” He explained, Frisk nodding slowly and turning back to their book to keep reading until Toriel nudged them to get some sleep.


	7. A Bone-ifide Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk is stuck with a demon that isn't fully bound, and must take him along on their patrol, since he insists on following his brother everywhere. Frisk just prays that he won't be a problem when they have to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand here's where the story took a sharp left from the original course. I wasn't planning on throwing this character in for a while, but whoop, there it is. Ah well.

Frisk thought they had gotten past worrying after talking with Sans about his feeding, but now they had an unbound demon living with them and following wherever Sans went. They talked in their strange static-heavy language around the apartment all morning, Papyrus up and about before Frisk’s alarm had gone off, making eggs and greeting them cheerfully when they emerged from the bathroom. Frisk blinked a bit, confused, then smiled and waved, going to get dressed. They ate their offered breakfast, thanking the tall skeleton.

Frisk kept glancing at Papyrus when they went out to Terry’s car, worried that he’d cause trouble for them, but Terry just rolled her eyes and said nothing, letting the skeletons settle in the back while Frisk took the passenger’s seat. They drove in silence, the two demons keeping their static language quiet, but Frisk couldn’t help but worry.

“...Relax.” Terry said when they came to a stop in their usual parking lot, “Undyne says he won’t be a problem.” Frisk nodded, glancing at him as they all got out of the car. The skeletons went quiet while they walked, Sans ending up asleep on Papyrus’s back at some point. He really liked sleeping on his brother, Frisk noted, smiling a bit. Good thing Papyrus could carry him so easily.

Suddenly the air felt too still, and quiet, and Toriel wrapped a protective arm around Frisk, wary of the change. Papyrus’s demeanor seemed more on edge, and he adjusted Sans so he could have his hands free. Terry’s face shimmered with Undyne’s scales, and Frisk felt their shoulders tense in anticipation. Sans’s eyes blinked on as the sound of static filled the silence, becoming almost deafening.

“Pap, to the right!” Sans called over the noise, and he leapt aside just as some kind of black tendril lashed at where he had been. Toriel’s white fur glowed on Frisk’s body, and Papyrus crouched a bit, ready to fight. Sans kept his grip on his brother like a backpack, watching intently as something like black sludge bubbled up from the sewer, Sans grinning wider, “Hey there, ugly.” The static got louder, the sludge forming a hunched shape, white hands emerging from the mass, followed by something like a cracked skull, but where its jaw should be, there was only a toothless gap like a stretched, hollow smile. Frisk shivered when its dark eye sockets scanned over them, its hands moved, and Frisk could see a hole in each bony palm as the skeletal fingers moved in familiar signs,

_ “Hello, boys. It has been a while.” _ Frisk stared at it, then the skeletons, confused and worried. Sans slipped off of Papyrus’s back as Papyrus summoned a fan of bones. Frisk summoned a fireball, but Sans set a hand on their shoulder,

“Easy, kid. Let Papyrus handle this one.” His eyes had gone dark in the same eerie way as the demon’s, but his grin was unwavering. Papyrus tensed, then lunged forward, the strange demon surging forward to meet his bone attacks with black whip-like tendrils. Frisk’s head was starting to hurt with the persistent static, and they covered their ears to muffle it some. Papyrus and the demon clashed again and again, but it seemed like every time the black tendrils struck Papyrus, its body got a little bigger, and Papyrus looked more weary. Sans had vanished at some point, and one of the tendrils snapped out, grabbing Papyrus’s ribcage and dragging him closer. The creature loomed over the skeleton with its empty smile, only to suddenly freeze, getting thrown into a nearby building. Papyrus gasped as he was released, the static dying down into a dull hiss.

Sans strolled over to Papyrus calmly, helping him to his feet and murmuring to him. Papyrus nodded, his body sparking with orange energy as he summoned a rain of bones that came crashing down on the prone demon, pinning it in place. Its empty jaw opened wider, and the static became a high-pitched sound, like a scream. Frisk winced at the sound, watching Papyrus call up a spear-like bone to drive through its skull, which made the static stop abruptly. It bulged, straining against the bones, then melting down into a dark stain on the pavement, a disassembled skeleton falling into a crumpled pile with Papyrus’s bone through its skull. Papyrus relaxed in relief, sighing and going back to Frisk with a tired smile. They lowered their hands, their ears still ringing from the noise, and smiled back at him. Sans helped support his brother, grinning proudly,

“That was so cool, bro. You were awesome.” He said, passing him to Terry, who was tall enough to support him properly. “Anyway, now that that’s dealt with, I think we should head back. Pap needs to rest.” Frisk nodded, glancing at the pile of bones and amazed to see them crumbling into dust.

_ “What was that?” _ They asked once they were back in Terry’s car,

“Some old demon.” Sans answered, shrugging, “It didn’t always look like that, but when it crossed the Fissure, it kinda warped and fed on demonic energy to keep its body. Not really good for us, y’know?” Frisk nodded, glancing worriedly at Papyrus, who gave them a tired smile, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of him when we get home.” Frisk frowned, but let the topic wait until they were all settled on the couch, Terry wishing them luck before heading home. Frisk took out a knife, opening their wrist and offering it to Papyrus, who hesitated,

“...Are you sure?” Frisk nodded, signing one handed,

_ “I trust you.” _ Papyrus’s face lit up, and he nodded, taking Frisk’s wrist and lapping up the blood with an orange tongue that seemed to appear in his mouth. Frisk watched in wonder, and when he pulled back, he murmured in his strange language, Sans joining in, and Frisk’s vision swam, their mind filled with Sans’s blizzard, but it felt colder, like it was freezing their soul and dragging them into a hypothermic sleep, and then by a whirlwind that shook them to their core, the rattling of bones sounding like it was their own skeleton rattling in their body. They came out of it breathless and their head spinning, Papyrus keeping them steady.

“Human? Are you alright?” They nodded, trying to clear their head, looking up at the skeletons, tilting their head in a silent question. Sans lifted their hands, and they looked, finding tattoos on their wrists, ornate cuff-like designs, one orange, one blue.

“You’ve earned our Names, and our trust. These marks are signs of our protection. We will keep you safe as long as we can.” Frisk turned their arms to look at the patterns, stunned, then looking up at them again,

_ “That… Was your Name?” _ Papyrus nodded, grinning proudly, Frisk trying to process it carefully. They looked at the tattoos again, then smiled quietly,  _ “Thank you.” _ The brothers smiled back, and Frisk snuggled up to Papyrus, giving him a big hug, and then going to make their dinner. They would have to tell Charlie about it, but that could wait until tomorrow when they were at the office. Sam wouldn’t be too happy about it, either. He’d lost his first summon in less than a day, and the binding seemed to have transferred to Frisk. Toriel mused that skeletons were fond of their own kind, and joked that Frisk might get an army of skeletons at their command if they weren’t careful.


	8. A Little Down-Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the Chief Summoner's frustration with current events, Sans decides that Frisk needs to enjoy the simple things in life. Starting with a snow cone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter was basically just making Charlie mad and introducing a character. I'm such a good writer.

“It WHAT?!” Frisk winced at the sudden volume spike in Charlie’s voice, looking at the floor rather than her furious glare, “The new corporeal abandoned its summoner, and now belongs to you?! HOW?!” Frisk shrank down, shrugging helplessly, “Why did you allow it to defy Sam?! Why did you let yours get close to it?!” Frisk shrugged again, signing lamely,

_ “Papyrus didn’t give Sam his Name. Just a weak approximation.” _ Charlie started pacing angrily, grumbling to herself,

“Great. Just great! Now we’ll have to worry about other demons not giving their Names! Do you have any idea how much this complicates things?!” Frisk wrung their hands together, staring at their new tattoos and listening to Charlie stomp around, “This is JUST what we needed! We’re trying to get some demon power on our side to keep the Fissure contained and our first two corporeals are completely unwilling to actually work with us! This is just PERFECT!!” Frisk flinched down, startled a moment later by an arm getting slung around their shoulders,

“Actually, we’re very willing to help. Why do you think we let you summon us?” Sans had appeared soundlessly next to Frisk, grinning at the infuriated chief, “But you gotta earn our trust before we’ll give you the cooperation you’re after. At least for me and Papyrus. Those demons in people’s heads aren’t as picky.” Charlie narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists and glaring at Sans, who was unphased by her glare, chuckling instead, “Heh. Undyne used to make that face all the time.” He leaned on Frisk a bit more, his free hand settling in his jacket pocket, “By the way, Pap took out a Level 3 yesterday on patrol. Thought you might want to know, since Terry forgot.” Charlie’s glare faltered, and she frowned,

“A Level 3? On its first patrol?” Sans nodded, “...Interesting…” She turned to continue pacing, thoughtful now, “What type of demon was it? We’ve been seeing a lot of plant-types near the borders…”

“Skeleton, actually. Didn’t take to exiting the Fissure too well, his body was swallowed by some black crap that fed on demonic power to keep itself alive.” Sans explained, examining his finger bones casually, “The old fart always did rush this kind of crap.” Charlie stopped, turning to look at Sans again,

“You knew the demon?” Sans looked up at her, grinning disarmingly,

“I had met him a few times before the world split open. There weren’t many skeletons back then.” Charlie narrowed her eyes, but seemed satisfied with the answer, going back to pacing,

“A Level 3… So it does have some potential.” She mused, Frisk watching her go back and forth. Sans leaned down a bit, murmuring by their ear,

“You okay, kiddo? You seemed upset earlier.” Frisk nodded, giving him a small smile as they signed to him,

_ “She was upset about Papyrus and taking it out on me, that’s all. Thank you for distracting her.” _ He nodded, ruffling their hair,

“No problem, kid. We’ll always come when you need us.” He took his other hand out of his pocket, tapping the blue tattoo, “We made a promise.” Frisk smiled, tracing the design a little and admiring it, “Whaddya say we let the boss think and go get snow cones, huh?” Frisk’s face lit up, and they nodded, holding their breath. They were getting used to Sans’s shortcuts, it made getting to work much easier, and Sans seemed to prefer it to walking around. When their eyes adjusted to the light again, they were outside where Papyrus was already at a snow cone stand, chatting with the nervous owner. The tall skeleton turned, brightening up when he saw Sans and Frisk,

“Ah, human! There you are! Come and look, there are so many fantastic flavors!” Frisk smiled and went over, waving at the poor stand owner before looking through the numerous flavors for one they liked,

“Uh… Are these… Yours…?” The man asked slowly, still eying Papyrus like he was going to bite him, Frisk nodded, gesturing to the Summoner Headquarters that they had just come from and taking out their badge to prove they were a summoner. The badge made them relax some, sighing, “I see… Well… W-what would you like?” Frisk had to give them some credit for not just bolting in fear when faced with a six-foot tall skeleton. They pointed to the butterscotch and cinnamon flavors, watching eagerly as it was made. Sans opted for cherry, but Papyrus couldn’t decide between all the flavors, Sans eventually interrupting his fretting,

“He’ll have blueberry.”

“Sans! I was so close to picking something good!” Papyrus protested, and Frisk was amused at the sight of a skeleton ‘pouting’, giggling around a mouthful of sweet ice.

“Trust me, bro. You’ll like it.” Sans replied easily, his snow cone somehow disappearing between his teeth. Frisk wasn’t sure how he ate when his jaw was seemingly stuck in place. At least Papyrus’s opened and he had a visible tongue- even if it only appeared when he wanted it to. Frisk was beginning to think Sans just kind of absorbed it, since there wasn’t a bunch of red syrup staining his teeth. The young human paid for their snow cones, standing near the stand to enjoy the chilly treat.

“Sour apple, please.” Frisk jumped when there was suddenly a voice behind them, turning to look at the stand. One of the summoners had come over without making a sound. Frisk stared at them for a moment before realizing it was the one who had helped summon Papyrus, the one Frisk hadn’t met yet. He was really quiet, and paid for his snow cone before finally turning and acknowledging Frisk and the skeletons. Frisk waved at him, and he looked them over carefully, as if trying to choose just the right words, but settled for a simple nod instead. He accepted his snow cone, ignoring the spoon and just taking a bite out of the ice instead. Frisk cringed internally, their own teeth aching at the thought of it. They watched him, and he watched them, an uneasy silence settling between them, broken by Sans nudging Frisk,

“So, uh… You gonna introduce us, kid?” He asked quietly, giving them an encouraging smile. Frisk blinked a bit, then shifted their hold on the half-eaten snow-cone,

_ “I don’t know his name.” _ They admitted, looking sheepish, turning back to the quiet summoner,  _ “What’s your name?” _ The man watched their hands, taking another bite of ice and chewing it a bit before swallowing,

“Sorry, I don’t understand Sign.” He said quietly, and Frisk lowered their hands, feeling awkward with the language barrier,

“They asked what your name is.” Sans translated, and Frisk smiled, nodding. Thank god Sans and Papyrus knew what they were saying.

“Elliot.” He replied, looking the shorter skeleton over, and then the taller one before focusing on Frisk again, “You are?”

“Frisk.” Sans answered as their hands moved, “Nice to meet you.” Elliot nodded in agreement, turning to head back toward the office. “...Well he’s quiet.” Sans said bluntly, and Frisk rolled their eyes, gesturing for their demons to follow them back to the building. They had work to do. And needed to apologise to Sam.


	9. Mental Assault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk's dreams are interrupted by a sudden attack on their mind, and it takes Sans, Papyrus, and Toriel's combined efforts to help them break free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. Here's another deviation after I tried to get back on course. Oh well.

Frisk was yanked from a dream, their mind abruptly filled with static, and they sat bolt upright, Toriel trying to force back whatever was invading her host’s mind. They clutched their head, the noise making it hard to focus on Toriel or their dark room. It felt like the static was in their vision, blurring the dim outlines of the familiar furniture, and they squeezed their eyes tight to prevent nausea. They needed to focus… But there was so much static… Static just like- like the demon Papyrus fought. Frisk grit their teeth and took deep breaths, forcing the haze back as best they could so they could think. Sans. Papyrus. Sans; bones frozen in a blizzard. Papyrus; bones rattling in a whirlwind. Sans; blizzard. Papyrus; whirlwind.

_ Sans. Papyrus. _

Their wrists tingled faintly beyond the static in their head, and they vaguely heard voices through the wall, and then footsteps.

_ Sans. Papyrus. _

The door was thrown open, and the sound of Sans’s voice came through the static.

“Kid, wh- Frisk!” Despite their blurred vision, Frisk looked toward the voice, reaching for the fuzzy shape of Sans and Papyrus, both rushing over to the bed, “Hang in there, Frisk!”

“Don’t give up, human! We’re here!” Papyrus’s voice seemed to jar them out of the static a bit, and they clung to him, fighting back the overwhelming static and pouring as much as they could into Toriel so she could shove it out. It retreated some, but then surged forward again, and their vision was completely filled with static, their body going numb. Sans and Papyrus’s worried calls became frantic, and then faded into the roar of static. Everything was static, and Frisk couldn’t do anything to get away from it. They struggled anyway, trying to find some way out of the all-encompassing sensation.

_ Sans. Papyrus. Toriel. Sans. Papyrus. Toriel. _

Over and over, they repeated the names, stubbornly keeping them despite their mind trying to just succumb to the static. They felt the static give a bit, warping as they fought to get out, and some kind of blue glow appeared, drawing them to it. Frisk focused all of their consciousness on the blue thing, reaching for it. It became a blue ring that glowed brightly when they touched it, circling their wrist where their blue tattoo would be. Sans. This was Sans. They held it close, and kept fighting the static. When it warped again, they saw an orange glow, and pulled themselves toward it, accepting the orange ring without hesitation. Papyrus. The third glow was a warm red, soft and inviting, and it settled over their chest. Toriel. They were all fighting to get them back too.

_ Sans. Papyrus. Toriel. _

The static was starting to fade slowly, and Frisk fought even harder to shed it. They were determined to break free and escape, and they had their demons calling to them. As if surfacing from an endless ocean, they broke out of the static with a gasp, lurching forward, only to find themself encircled in Sans and Papyrus’s arms. They took a few breaths to steady themselves as the static faded away and they got clarity in their thoughts again. Sans’s white eyes opened first, and he relaxed, sighing with relief,

“Oh thank god. I thought we’d lost you.” He hugged Frisk, Papyrus’s long arms hugging them both.

“You were so brave, human. I’m so proud of you.” Frisk relaxed in their embrace, closing their eyes.

_ Toriel? Are you okay? _

_ I am fine, my child. The creature has backed off. _

_ What was that? _

**_My apologies for the rude entrance. I had to be sure you were strong enough._ **

Frisk’s eyes snapped open with a start, their stomach sinking like a rock. The static wasn’t gone. It had just moved to the back of their mind. Now it had a  _ voice _ .

“Kid? Are you alright?” Sans was eying them worriedly, and they signed shakily,

_ “It’s still in my head. It spoke to me.” _ Sans froze, his eyes going dark, staring at Frisk with empty sockets.

“It what?” He asked slowly, and Frisk bit their lip,

_ “I heard it speak to me.” _ They signed, leaning into Papyrus’s chest.

**_Do not be afraid, young human. I am not a threat._ **

Frisk shivered at the voice, trying to push it away,

**_You bear the protection of Sans and Papyrus. I wished to see if you were worthy of such an honor._ **

Frisk cringed, Papyrus hugging them tightly, as if to squeeze the presence from their mind,

_ Who are you? _

**_Ah, of course they haven’t told you. You may call me Gaster. I am… Quite familiar with your companions._ **

“Frisk?” Frisk’s eyes snapped open, not realizing they’d fallen shut, looking at Sans’s worried face,

_ “Who is Gaster?” _ They asked, the short skeleton’s eyes going dark again,

“...Gaster is the demon Pap killed. He wedged his way into your head, then?” Frisk nodded, and Sans scoffed, “Figures. Old man never bothered to ask permission when he wanted something.”

_ “I find it an unhelpful step in the process. It only wastes time.” _ Frisk stared at their hands when they moved of their own volition, Sans tilting his head into a dark grin,

“Watch yourself, G. You’re messing with our human.”

_ “It is my human too, now. You three will have to share.” _ Frisk could feel a muted amusement from the small pocket of static that was Gaster, and stuffed their hands in their lap. It was weird to watch them move without knowing what would come out of them. Sans was looking annoyed, but sighed and turned, flopping back on Frisk’s bed,

“Well. I guess we can’t get rid of him. Anyway, it’s still the middle of the night, you need to sleep, kiddo. Me and Pap will stay here to make sure he minds his manners.” Frisk nodded a bit, curling up with their pillow when Papyrus set them down, getting tucked in with a long bony arm draped across them.

“Goodnight, human.”

**_Goodnight, boys._ **


	10. Murphy's Law Still Works

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Murphy's Law: Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
> 
> Things are turning for the worse for Frisk, and they struggle to keep up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, things are getting complicated, and I'm reaching the end of my built up chapters. It seems like so much when it's counted in pages, but now it looks so small counted in chapters. I thought I wrote more than this.

Frisk couldn’t bring themself to tell Charlie about Gaster yet. She had enough to worry about with Sans and Papyrus and the other Summoners, she wouldn’t take well to knowing Frisk was essentially possessed by the demon Papyrus had killed. At least he kept to his little corner of their mind and left Toriel alone. That much was a relief. Frisk didn’t trust him yet, and Toriel kept watch over him to ensure he didn’t do anything suspicious.

Frisk and Terry’s next patrol seemed to go downhill as soon as they got out of the car. They were almost immediately attacked by a Level 3 plant type, which Papyrus and Undyne took out with fierce efficiency while Sans watched from Frisk’s side, making sure nothing snuck up on them. Throughout the patrol, they kept having to kill anything from a Level 1 to a Level 3, and Frisk was getting worried for Papyrus. They had no idea what his Price was, or how long he could keep fighting.

**_Just trust him. He’ll be fine._ **

Gaster’s words were still jarring with their low static undertone, but he seemed calm enough. Frisk just hoped he knew what he was talking about. They had to believe that Papyrus would be alright, that he knew his limits. Frisk kept it in mind to trust him, and Papyrus continued to fight as if he didn’t know the meaning of tired.

As the sky began to change colors, and evening set in, Frisk was exhausted, yawning frequently as they followed Papyrus. Sans was already fast asleep on Papyrus’s back, and Frisk was tempted to join him. Toriel was keeping Frisk from stumbling over their own feet, and Terry was looking even more worn out than Frisk. Only Papyrus kept his boundless energy to press on, the promise of getting back to the car the only thing fueling Terry and Frisk to keep going.

Frisk tripped, stumbling to the ground, turning to see what caught their foot, freezing when they saw a thorny vine coiling around their ankle. They tried to pull away from it, wincing when the thorns bit into their skin. Frisk struggled, gritting their teeth against the pain, only to have their other leg caught. They clenched their fists, summoning a fireball to set the vines on fire, getting a pained shriek from the hidden creature.

“Frisk?” Terry turned, running over, “Frisk!” She summoned a spear, stabbing one of the vines to cut it off, Frisk kicking the burnt one away and scrambling to their feet. The demon reared up from a ruined building, made almost completely of vines, with one large rose-like head on top. It hissed angrily at the two humans, lurching forward to attack again. Frisk called upon Toriel without a thought, and the vines caught fire, making it shriek again. Terry was slicing through as much as she could with her spears, the green weapons floating around her. Papyrus ran up and joined in eagerly with a battle cry, leaving Sans to observe from a fair distance.

Frisk gasped when a vine cracked across the back of their head, making their vision swim, struggling against the thorny appendage as it coiled around their body and dragged them up into the air. They heard Terry and Papyrus distantly through the haze of pain in their head, but everything became far too clear and detailed when they heard a sickening snap, and pain shot through their arm. Broken. Their arm was just broken. The vines had twisted it to its limit, and now there was nothing but pain. The others were fighting desperately to get to them, but their vision was starting to blur from shock, and the world was disappearing into a black tunnel.

**_Honestly. You’d think he’d put some actual effort in for once._ **

Gaster’s voice was everywhere in their head, and static replaced pain in their broken arm.

**_Useless as always, even when he’s promised to protect someone. He always was terrible at keeping promises._ **

Gaster sounded exasperated, like he was muttering to himself, but Frisk could hear every word. They tried to get the world back in focus, their vision clearing just in time to see their working arm lift, glowing with a blue energy, and a huge animalistic skull appear, opening its bisected jaw to blast the plant demon with a beam of energy that made the air smell of ozone. The demon’s head was gone when the beam vanished, and the vines began to crumble away, Frisk’s heart leaping into their throat when they dropped toward the ground, only to halt suddenly, their whole body glowing a deep blue as they drifted slowly down into Papyrus’s waiting arms. He maneuvered them carefully to not agitate their broken arm, carrying them toward the car. His voice was muffled and growing distant again, and Frisk could see Terry speaking into her phone, Sans watching Frisk intently. They tried to give him a smile, but they were drifting in and out to much to tell if it worked. They heard Gaster from his little space murmuring with Toriel, but couldn’t piece together the words. The world went dark and Frisk lost themself to unconsciousness.


	11. Laying Out the Facts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Frisk is stuck in the hospital, Charlie makes a visit to get some much-desired answers, but the answers don't make her too happy. Frisk also must find a way to stay entertained while stuck in bed, and it's Sans to the rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of cute stuff thrown in around Charlie getting mad. I have no idea why I've made it my goal to make Charlie mad, but there we go.

Everything was numb. At least, it felt that way. Frisk drifted in and out of consciousness, trying to piece together where they were by sound alone. There was a soft electrical hum, and the sound of steady beeping, as well as muffled voices. A hospital, they guessed. They tried to move, but hissed when they moved their arm and were greeted with pain. Right. It was broken.

**_Lucky you’ve got friends who can set bones._ **

Frisk grimaced at the voice, sighing in annoyance. They didn’t want to hear him right now. He was too matter-of-fact in his tone, and the young human didn’t want to deal with him. They slowly pried their eyes open, greeted with the boring white ceiling of the hospital, and sighed heavily. Hopefully they would heal quickly and be able to get back to work.

“Hey, kid.” Frisk blinked, and Sans’s face came into view, smiling like always, “How are you feeling?” Frisk shrugged, “Well, the good new is your arm’s on its way to healing. They’ve got it in a cast, and your boss is giving you leave from the field so you can recover.” Frisk scrunched up their nose in dislike, “I know, pen-pushing is boring as shit, but hey, you’ll have me and Pap to entertain you.” Frisk nodded, sighing again, “Anyway, she wanted to talk to you when you woke up. Ready to face her?” Frisk grimaced, but nodded, shifting with Sans’s help to be sitting up before he went to open the door, “Kay, they’re up.” Papyrus bounded into the door, scooping up his brother on the way to one of the chairs by Frisk’s bed, plopping down and setting Sans in his lap like a teddy bear,

“Human, are you alright? The medical humans have made you well again?” He asked, getting a smile from Frisk, who nodded, carefully showing Papyrus their tightly bound arm. They looked up when Charlie cleared her throat, watching her sit down with a folder tucked under one arm. She wasn’t smiling.

“Frisk, given that you can’t use one arm, I can’t really ask you to explain what happened yesterday, and your demons have already told me what they saw, but there is one detail that needs to be cleared up.” She began, opening the folder as she spoke, “A civilian was in the area when you faced the demon that broke your arm and managed to record some of the battle.” Frisk glanced at Sans and Papyrus, then back at Charlie, trying to keep their nervousness from being too obvious. Charlie set a photo in their lap, giving them a careful look, “Can you tell me what this is?” Frisk went pale when they looked at the picture. It wasn’t the best image, since it was a still-shot from a video, but they could see the massive plant demon and their small body being held off the ground, mostly limp except for their uninjured arm, which was outstretched toward the demon, and hovering between their hand and the demon’s head was that skull. Frisk stared at it, then at Charlie, “I know your rider cannot use such attacks. She uses fire, not… Whatever this is. How did you create such a thing?” Frisk bit their lip, taking a deep breath and signing carefully with their hand,

_ “It was Gaster. He… found me a few days ago.” _ They had to be careful how they phrased it, but Charlie still didn’t look pleased,

“You have a second rider? An unregistered one?” She asked, Frisk nodding and looking at their hands, “When were you planning on informing me of this?” Frisk winced, gnawing on their lip,

_ “I… I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure him out.” _ Charlie frowned, turning to pin the skeletons with a glare,

“And why didn’t you two say anything about this?” Sans leaned into his brother, shrugging,

“What the kid wants you to know is their business. It’s not our job to tell you their secrets.” Frisk just stared at the picture, studying the skull now that they could think properly. It was enormous. How had Gaster managed to create something so powerful? It must have taken some serious energy output to even manifest. Their gaze drifted to the fuzzy image of themself, squinting a bit at it. Were they moving in this frame? They looked blurrier than the rest of the image. Where was their other arm? They had a nagging feeling in the back of their mind that felt like Gaster was expecting them to figure something out. They looked at Charlie, getting her attention,

_ “Could I see the video?” _ They asked, and she sighed, pulling out her phone and clicking through it, passing it to Frisk while Papyrus leaned closer with Sans to watch. The civilian had started the video after Papyrus had joined in the fight, and Frisk watched quietly, wincing a bit when they saw their body convulse from the demon breaking their arm. They went limp, and then… Frisk held the phone closer, watching their outline blur, and their arm disappear into a grey haze. Static. They hadn’t seen it on their body, but apparently Gaster’s power was visible on video as raw static. Their arm lifted, and the skull crackled to life from a blue glow, blasting the demon’s rose-shaped head away. The video shook with the shockwave from the blast, and the one holding the camera dropped it, cursing as they scrambled to pick it up again, just in time to see Frisk fall, caught in the deep blue glow, and then drift into Papyrus’s arms before the video ended.

“...So. This new demon in your head. Have you bound it yet?” Frisk avoided Charlie’s gaze as they handed back the phone, Sans speaking up before Frisk could think of an excuse,

“He’s not gonna let himself be bound the traditional way, Chief. Look, here’s a tip for whenever you want to summon another demon: Be more specific about who you want. Don’t get a skeleton. None of the others are all that cooperative, y’know?” Charlie pinched her nose, growling under her breath,

“Great. So this ‘Gaster’ is another skeleton? Just great.” She sighed in exasperation, “And just how do you suggest we handle it, then? Since you seem to know all the skeletons.” Sans shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets,

“Search me, Chief. Gaster’s a secretive guy. I got no clue what he wants.”

**_Liar._ **

Frisk tried to ignore Gaster’s remark, but still found themself wondering why Sans would lie. Charlie still looked irritated with his answer, so it wasn’t like he was trying to calm her down. She didn’t try to get any more answers from him, at least, turning back to Frisk,

“Listen here, Gaster. You’ll mind your manners or I’ll carve you out of there, got it?” Frisk shrank back, surprised by their hand moving to reply with clipped, precise signs,

_ “I would advise you to not make threats you cannot follow through with. You are incapable of removing me from the human’s body with the resources you have.” _ Frisk shoved their hand into their lap before he could make any more comments, looking up at Charlie apologetically. She scowled, but simply got up and left without a word. Frisk took a deep breath and sighed, slumping back onto their bed.

_ “When can I leave?” _ Sans gave them a sympathetic smile, snuggling into his brother,

“The doctors wanted to make sure your arm’s okay before they give you the all-clear. I’d estimate they’ll want to keep you for the night.” Frisk scrunched up their nose with distaste, unable to do anything but resign themselves to their predicament. It was only one night, but still… They made a sign to Sans and Papyrus, Sans grinning wider, “I’ve got the perfect thing. I’ve been collecting these while you were asleep.” He snapped his fingers, and a thick book landed in his hands, the pages bowed out awkwardly, and he set it in Frisk’s lap. Frisk read the cover, looking confused. A quantum physics book? They looked to Sans, who just grinned, “Go ahead and read it.” He said, and they opened it. Inside the cover was a joke book. They laughed, opening it to read through the jokes, Toriel joining in with their laughter, which made Sans look pleased with himself. After the joke book, Frisk did their best to read the quantum physics stuff, but the words made no sense to them. Gaster’s static got a little louder, which was also distracting, but they struggled through the complex words and theories until they reached the next joke book. Gaster’s static faded again, and Toriel eagerly urged them to read the jokes.

Frisk continued like that for hours, and Toriel and Gaster would trade in and out as the books did. Apparently the static-demon liked quantum physics, and would occasionally correct Frisk when their mind struggled with a word’s pronunciation. Eventually, Frisk yawned, shifting to lean back into their pillow as their eyelids grew heavy. Toriel wished them pleasant dreams, and they smiled, leaving the book open in their lap as they drifted off.


	12. Homeward Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk receives a rude awakening, and has an unhelpful chat before they are released from the hospital. Life promises to be boring with a broken arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, half of the fun of this story is fleshing out characters. It's so great.

Frisk woke the next morning with chills racing down their spine, their mind reeling within the cold expanse of the void, and the hiss of static through their bones making their body feel detached. They gasped, eyes snapping open and looking around wildly. They were still in the hospital. Papyrus was slumped in the chair he had claimed, Sans curled up in his lap. They almost looked like parent and child rather than brothers. Frisk sighed, comforted by the familiarity of the skeletons, but wanted to process the vision they were given. They tried to silently echo it, forming the shape of sounds with their mouth as best they could.

_ Wingdings. _

His static was like a persistent white noise in the back of their mind now, subtle, but easily remembered in the quiet of the room, similar to Toriel’s warm presence. Was that really his Name? Now that they thought about it, Sans and Papyrus were odd names, too. Like typing fonts on a computer.

**_Human sounds make a vague approximation of our Names. What they mean in your world means nothing to us. But yes, that is my Name. I’d prefer you call me Gaster, as it is a simpler version of_ **

Their mind was filled with static, and they shook it off as best they could. The amount of static in the demon’s existence would make them dizzy if they focused on it too long.

**_You will find better use of my power than Sans’s. He’s always been reluctant to use his full power for its intended use. It’s pathetic, really. I’ve never met one so lazy with so much potential._ **

_ You don’t have to be so mean to him. _

Frisk glanced at the sleeping demon, feeling bad for how harsh Gaster’s words were. Their eyes drifted to their wrist, where Sans’s tattoo was, blinking in confusion to find a black design interlaced with the blue. They wished they could see their other wrist, to know if Papyrus’s orange tattoo was similarly altered. They swore they heard a static-y laugh from Gaster,

**_There is much you could learn about your companions. Perhaps I will share that knowledge with you one day, when they are not around to try and distract you._ **

Frisk was even more confused by that, but didn’t have time to ponder over it as a doctor came in with a soft knock on the door and a gentle smile.

“Good morning, Frisk. Did you sleep well?” Frisk nodded, watching him check their IV, which they hadn’t even noticed the day before, “Good, good. How does your arm feel? Any discomfort?” They shrugged, carefully moving it to test, getting a light sting, so they let it rest again, making a vague gesture for ‘kinda’. “That’s normal. You’ll want to be as gentle as you can with it, it was a pretty bad break and it needs all the rest it can get. We’ll give you a sling to keep it in when you leave.” Frisk nodded, smiling a bit. At least they had friends to help them as needed. They perked up when Sans shifted, yawning and stretching, sitting up in Papyrus’s lap, and rubbing his eye socket,

“Mornin’ kid. What I miss?” Frisk shrugged, tapping their head and fingerspelling, Sans’s white eyes looking brighter for a moment, “Oh? That was fast.” Frisk shrugged again, making an exaggerated confused face, “Well, I guess the old fart likes you, then.” Frisk giggled silently, closing the quantum physics book full of joke books, pushing it toward Sans, “Heh, don’t want to read any more equations?” Frisk shook their head, smiling as they mimed getting dizzy, crossing their eyes. Sans laughed, taking the book to put in his lap, “Believe me, I don’t think anyone can understand that crap but him. I tried, but… Yeah, no. I’ll stick to jokes.” Frisk smiled, letting the doctor finish his check-up before nodding to them,

“Alright, I think you’re ready to go. Please wait here while I get your sling. You’ll need to check out at the front desk. Do you need to call someone to pick you up?” Frisk looked to Sans who winked back, shaking their head with a smile. “Very well, I’ll be right back.” He left, and Sans snapped his fingers, the book vanishing so he could turn and shake Papyrus, waking him up,

“Hey, bro, get up. We’re heading home.”

“Hmm… nnrh? Already?” Papyrus sat up, yawning widely as he looked at Frisk, brightening up, “You can return home? Wonderful! I’ll make some spaghetti when we arrive as a welcome home meal!” Frisk smiled, giggling at his enthusiasm and nodding happily. When the doctor returned, he helped Frisk put their arm in its sling, explaining it so either they or the skeletons could put it on later, chuckling when Papyrus scooped the young human into his arms to carry out of the hospital, with a stop at the desk to make sure they were checked out. Sans’s hand settled on Frisk’s shoulder, and they held their breath, easily managing the shortcut now. Papyrus set them on the couch with Sans, and a thought occurred to them, signing awkwardly with one hand,

_ “If you can only take one person on a shortcut, how can you get me and Papyrus together?” _ Sans chuckled, draping his arm across Frisk’s shoulders,

“Paps is a demon. It takes a lot more magic to teleport a human than my brother. Besides, have you seen him? He’s all bone.” Frisk laughed, accepting the answer and getting comfy to just cuddle while Papyrus cooked in the kitchen. Eventually, they asked Sans about what kind of magic slowed their fall, the short skeleton chuckling, “That’s a cool power my bro has, where he can control how gravity affects you. He didn’t want you getting more hurt after the demon, so he made sure you landed safely in his arms. Isn’t he great?” Frisk smiled warmly and nodded, cuddling Sans. Papyrus brought over a plate piled high with spaghetti and set it before Frisk, puffing himself up proudly,

“There we are! The great Papyrus’s spectacular spaghetti! Not even Sans can resist its delicious flavour!” He declared, and Frisk scoot forward to begin eating, finding the flavor strange, but not inedible. They ate happily, listening to the brothers talk around them, happy for this comfort of home. They settled in with the quantum joke book, a term coined by Sans, making it through a few more joke books and quantum physics chapters around lunch and dinner before Toriel finally encouraged them to get some sleep. They didn’t want to move from the couch where they were comfortably sandwiched between Sans and Papyrus, so just closed the book and pushed it to the floor, adjusting themself to be able to lie down without agitating their arm. They had the feeling they would sleep here more than once while they healed.


	13. Research Assistant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With nothing to do, Frisk finds themself offered a chance to interact more with their new demonic companion. They learn some interesting things about Gaster that they would have never thought to ask about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just finished this chapter. I love writing Gaster, not gonna lie.

**_You really are a fascinating creature. In another situation, I would take quite a lot of time to study you._ **

_ Study? _

**_Yes. If my taste in reading didn’t give it away, I am fond of scientific endeavors. I have studied all kinds of demons in my time, but humans are still very new to me. Perhaps I can make more use of my current position to study humans in-depth._ **

_...Like a lab rat? _

**_Don’t be ridiculous. Such creatures are bred to be experimented on to test the effects of chosen stimuli. While useful, that is not what I’m interested in. I do not want to test a formula’s effects on a creature, I want to observe a creature in its natural state, to learn its behavioral habits, and social structure. I have plenty of data on how you interact with Sans and Papyrus, but I believe it’s time we branched out and got you some exercise. As palatable as Papyrus’s spaghetti may be, one must burn the energy stored up from a meal somehow. Shall we head back to your job?_ **

_ But I’m on medical leave. _

**_From the field, yes. But your superior did not say you couldn’t still work at the office. I would like to see how you interact with your coworkers. Now, please extract yourself from the pile of bones you’ve tangled yourself in._ **

Frisk opened their eyes, finding themself trapped between Sans and Papyrus in a tangle of bony limbs. They smiled softly, carefully nudging Sans aside, getting up from the couch, hesitating when Sans grunted and shifted, one white eye opening,

“Kid…?” They turned to smile at him, petting his skull a bit before signing ‘toilet’ to him. He grunted again, snuggling into Papyrus and starting to snore softly. Frisk couldn’t help but find it cute, going to the bathroom first, then changing into their uniform, mindful of their arm, maneuvering the sling into place.

**_Good. Now hold your breath, please._ **

Frisk started to question it, but had to hurriedly hold their breath when the world dropped into a familiar darkness, returning just as abruptly. Frisk took a few breaths to make sure they weren’t dizzy from the sudden jump, looking around at the parking garage of Headquarters, and heading for the elevator,

_ You can use shortcuts like Sans? _

**_There are many similarities between us besides being skeletons. Yes, I can move myself between points in space through that medium. It is convenient at times, though I do not use it nearly as much as Sans. As I said, he is exceedingly lazy._ **

Frisk stepped into the elevator, pushing the button for the floor their cubicle was on, leaning against the polished wall as the doors slid shut. They were starting to get used to Gaster’s voice and how… Impersonal it felt. He was like a scientist from a movie, all technical words and aloof, removed from his emotions so as not to get attached to a test subject.

**_Emotional attachment only gets in the way of research. One must keep an unbiased approach to their work to achieve the most information._ **

And his habit of snooping into Frisk’s personal thoughts. Still, he occasionally provided insight into the odd thought Frisk had about demons or Gaster himself, though he had yet to divulge much beyond his ‘I’m a scientist, I know Sans and Papyrus.’ statements. It was making Frisk even more curious about the three demons and how they related to one another. The elevator dinged, and Frisk straightened up, nearly running into someone as they stepped out, signing an apology,

“Sorry.” Frisk looked up, surprised to see Elliot with a mug of coffee. This had to be the most they’d seen of him since they’d met during Papyrus’s summoning. Frisk waved at him with a smile anyway, and he nodded in return, disappearing into the elevator while Frisk went to see Charlie. Frisk knocked on Charlie’s door, stepping into her office when given the okay, waving at her,

“Frisk? Why didn’t you say you were coming in?” Frisk shrugged, signing,

_ “It was a last-minute decision.” _ They explained at Gaster’s prompting,  _ “I didn’t want to get behind on paperwork.” _ Charlie sighed with a small smile,

“Alright, then. There’s some for you on your desk. I was planning on mailing it to you, but since you came in…” Frisk smiled and nodded, giving a little salute before heading to their desk to get to work. They wished that they were ambidextrous, trying to hold a pen in a cast was proving to be too difficult.

**_Switch to your left. I will write for you._ **

Frisk paused, blinking a few times, then traded the pen to their left hand,

_ Can you write in human letters? _

**_I can speak it, can’t I? I can read it, can’t I? I learned your language when I entered your mind._ **

Gaster almost sounded insulted, and Frisk’s hand took upon a mind of its own, absently twirling the pen between their fingers as they focused on the page. Gaster filled in where Frisk’s mind supplied information, his letters neat and perfectly spaced to be flawlessly legible, which occasionally distracted Frisk into staring at how well he could write until he tapped the desk sharply with the pen, startling them out of their little trance. With Gaster’s help, Frisk got through their work faster than they expected, going to file it away.

_ Well, that frees up the afternoon. I guess I can see how Sam is doing. I haven’t talked to him in a while. _

**_Hopefully he’s not still sore about Papyrus._ **

_ Leave my memories alone, Gaster. _

They scolded him silently, going over to Sam’s cubicle and peeking in, seeing him slumped over a book, doodling on a paper beside him distractedly. Frisk knocked on the wall to get his attention, smiling when he looked up,

“Frisk! Hey, dude, I thought you weren’t coming in! Chief said you broke your arm, are you okay?” Sam got up, coming to see, grimacing a bit, “Wow… Does it hurt?” Frisk shook their head, waving off his worry, “Good, wouldn’t want to lose my best friend to some overgrown flower!” He laughed, giving Frisk his chair to sit in, while he leaned on the desk, “So what’s this I hear about you creating giant skulls out of nowhere?” Frisk sighed, not surprised it had spread around the office, signing to him,

_ “I got a new rider. Well, okay, it’s more like he found me and decided to stay, but anyway. He can use these… I guess they’re like cannon skulls? I’ve only seen the one that he used to get me free. It fires this really powerful energy beam.” _ Sam stared at them, awed, then leaned closer,

“What’s he like?” Frisk chuckled a bit, twirling their finger by their temple, earning a laugh, “Crazy, huh? How so?” Frisk explained how he talked, Sam laughing with each imitation, “That’s hilarious. What’s his name?” Frisk spelled it out for him, and he scrunched his face up a bit, “Ga… Gaster? What kind of name is that?” Frisk shrugged, waving it off, Sam abandoning that thought, “Right, demons are weird. Anyway, I’m kinda jealous, you’ve got a collection going on, meanwhile I’ve only got one rider.”

_ “Most summoners only have one, Sam.” _ Frisk pointed out, and he huffed,

“Yeah, but you’ve got two riders, and two corporeal. You’re getting all the shit.” Sam slumped a bit, Frisk feeling kind of bad for him,

_ “If Charlie decides to get another, I won’t be part of the summon. That’ll prevent me from getting any more.” _ Sam smiled, perking up again,

“Thanks, dude. You’re awesome. So, are we gonna have to get you a transcriber for your paperwork? You’re right-handed and all.” Frisk scoffed, leaning over to punch his arm, “Hey! I’m just saying, your handwriting has to be terrible now!” The young summoner just rolled their eyes, picking up Sam’s pen and letting Gaster write on Sam’s doodling page.

_ I can write just fine, thank you. _

Sam stared, awed, and Gaster twirled the pen while Frisk looked smug, “How’d you do that? You’ve never written anything left-handed.” Frisk tapped their head with the pen, signing a G, “...You’re using your rider to write for you? Dude, that’s cheating!” Gaster set down the pen, and started signing,

_ “It’s making use of resources at your disposal. That is hardly cheating.” _ Sam stared at Frisk, who smiled sheepishly,

_ “He speaks in Sign.” _ They offered as explanation for the change in tone. Sam snorted, stuffing his hands in his pockets,

“Figures you’d get a demon that talks with his hands. I shouldn’t be surprised.” Frisk smiled, blinking when their hand moved to pick up the pen again, flipping the page over to start writing, both summoners staring at the symbols being drawn in place of letters. “Is… Is that the Wingdings font??” Sam asked, bewildered. Frisk squinted and tilted their head a bit, nodding.

_ You write in Wingdings. Would it be wrong to ask if Sans and Papyrus write in certain fonts, too? _

**_Our handwriting is unique to each of us. Yes, Papyrus writes in the Papyrus font, and Sans in Comic Sans. At least, I would assume so, given what your memories tell me the fonts look like._ **

_ That’s… Kind of hilarious. Can they read what you write? _

**_Sans can. Papyrus never bothered to learn to read it._ **

Frisk watched him write, fascinated at how easily the shapes flowed from his hand. Good thing he could write in actual letters, Charlie would hate to see this on official paperwork.

“There you are.” Frisk jumped when a hand landed on their shoulder, Sam yipping in surprise, “Papyrus was worried about you when we couldn’t find you.” Frisk looked up, their hand coming to a stop, meeting Sans’s wide grin, “Been having adventures with Gaster, huh?” Frisk nodded, giving him an apologetic smile, “Well, Pap’s working on lunch at home, so whaddya say we head back?” Frisk nodded, setting the pen down and getting up, waving a goodbye to Sam, who was trying to understand how Sans had gotten into their cubicle unseen. Frisk closed their eyes before Sans took his shortcut, opening them and smiling when they saw Papyrus busily working in the kitchen. He turned, brightening up with a grin,

“Welcome back, human! I hope you’re hungry!” Frisk smiled happily, nodding, but Sans stopped them before they could go to the couch to wait,

“Hold up.” He said quietly, meeting Frisk’s eyes with an unreadable look in his eyes, “You’re pushing it, Dings. You can’t just run off with the kid and study humans for a day. They need to rest.” Frisk blinked, confused, watching their hand move,

_ “The human was willing to go. I did not force them.” _

“You know full well that they shouldn’t. You’re just taking advantage of their curiosity.” Sans retorted, sighing as his gaze gentled, “Kid, if you wanna go somewhere, tell us. We’d be happy to take you.” Frisk nodded, hugging Sans as an apology.

**_Only caring to act when they’re out of sight. You’re impossible, Sans._ **

Frisk ignored Gaster’s exasperation, perking up when Papyrus brought over a plateful of spaghetti for them.


	14. Trip to the Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk can't stand being cooped up for another day with two skeletons bickering at each other, and decide it's time for some fresh air. They take their demons to a park they used to love, and think they can get some well-needed mental relaxation. Things don't exactly go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you guys will really like this chapter. Thank you to everyone for all the great feedback, you're all amazing.

Frisk lost track of the days throughout the week they spent at home. Everything became a blur of reading jokes and quantum physics theories and equations, unreasonable portions of spaghetti for each meal, and watching Sans and Papyrus talk and banter around the living room. The human was getting stir-crazy from being stuck in the apartment, and eventually threw up their good arm, stomping their feet to stop the most recent argument about whether crosswords or word jumbles were harder, demanding the skeletons take them to the park. They needed to be outside for once, or lose their sanity.

Frisk walked to a local park, breathing the scent of trees with a sigh of relief. They missed this park, climbing trees or just running around when they were younger, before the Fissure split open and demons made everything fall to pieces. Frisk settled under a tree, closing their eyes with a content sigh. Things were pleasant here, serene, and the people out and about were a comforting buzz of conversations just out of hearing. Sans and Papyrus amused themselves nearby, judging by their static language. Come to think of it…

_ Hey, Gaster? _

**_You want to know if I understand them. Yes. It is a language known only to the three of us, used to communicate when we don’t wish to be understood by unwanted listeners._ **

_ Sans said only he and Papyrus used it. _

**_Sans is fond of omitting facts he deems irrelevant at the time._ **

Frisk accepted the explanation, settling to just listen to the static-y sounds.

“Hello.” A voice said, its tone almost too sweet. Frisk opened their eyes, staring at the child standing before them, his eyes an odd shade of brown, “Are those skeletons your friends?” Frisk nodded, wondering where this kid’s parents were, “So that means you’re a summoner, right?” Frisk nodded slowly, and the kid’s mouth curved up in a smile, “That’s really cool. Wanna play a game?” Frisk tilted their head, silently questioning, and the child’s grin got eerily wider, “Let’s play Tag. I’m It.” Frisk got up, only to freeze when the child was surrounded by floating knives, his eyes turning crimson, and his teeth sharpening. Frisk heard Toriel gasp, bolting to the side as the knives moved, embedding in the tree they had been in front of. The child giggled eerily, the knives vanishing and reappearing around him, “You’re fast. But I’m faster!” The knives rushed forward, Frisk diving out of the way, and they heard the sound of metal scraping against bone. Frisk twisted around, their mouth opening in surprise. Sans stood between them and the child, the knives embedded in bones he’d summoned.

“Well ain’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He drawled, Papyrus scooping Frisk up into his arms, “And here I thought you’d be bored of humans.” The child giggled, its voice sickly sweet,

“Aw, you didn’t miss me? I’m sure Mother would.” His eyes drifted to Frisk, and he grinned far wider than a normal face should, showing too many teeth. Sans scoffed, lifting his hand and flicking his wrist, the bones lashing out at the child, who danced away from each one, laughing, a knife appearing in his hand, “Don’t tell me that’s all you’ve got! Come on, lazybones, give me a  _ challenge _ !” He jeered, lunging in to slash at him, Sans dodging to the side, his smile widening,

“Kid… I told you before. If you’re gonna mess with my friends, you’re gonna have a bad time.” Sans’s hand snapped out, and the child yelped as he were thrown into a tree, which cracked and shifted with the force of the blow, getting thrown high into the air, and then down onto the ground. Frisk gaped at Sans, stunned by the sudden show of aggression, and sheer power he had. They hardly noticed the satisfied hum of static in the back of their mind, staring at the prone body. The child twitched, pulling himself up, grinning eerily at Sans,

“That’s more like it.” He bolted at Sans, knife slashing at air as Sans stepped out of the way again, throwing the child into another tree, and then throwing him into the ground, watching him skid away. He was silent, parrying the knives flung at him with bones lazily flicked around, reaching out and pulling up. The child was flung up into the air, then thrown back down, again and again. Frisk winced when they heard something crack, and the child cry out in pain.

_ No! _

Frisk was surprised by Toriel’s cry, feeling her try to get control of Frisk, only to be stopped by Gaster,

**_Leave them. Sans is doing what is necessary._ **

_ I will not see him die again! _

Frisk stared at the child, biting their lip in worry. The child picked himself up slowly, coughing as he swayed unsteadily,

“You’re holding back, Sans… You’ve gone soft…” He coughed again, blood staining his mouth as he clutched their stomach, “Heh… only broke one rib…” Sans lowered his hand, slipping it into his pocket,

“Your lung is punctured, kid. Just go home.” The child’s eyes blazed red, and he staggered forward, summoning a knife into his hand.

“You want me to give up...?” He asked, swaying as he stopped a few feet away from Sans, wheezing as his injured lung struggled to keep working, “Nngh… It does hurt…” He coughed harshly, wincing and dropping his knife, which vanished. The child lifted his arms in an offering of a handshake, “You want me to give up, right…?” He asked, smiling shakily, “Truce?” Sans’s shoulders relaxed a bit, and he stepped forward, his hand lifting to accept the offering, but he abruptly dropped his hand, the child slamming into the ground with a pained gasp, his startled cry cut off abruptly as a mass of bone spikes tore through his body.

_ Chara!! _

Frisk gasped, briefly overwhelmed by Toriel’s grief, horrified as they watched the body go limp, and then crumble into dust. Sans turned back to Frisk, his face unreadable as he walked toward them, Frisk shrinking back slightly when Papyrus set them down.

“Tori.” Sans began quietly, “I had to do that. He wanted to kill the kid. Wanted to kill all of us.” Frisk let her take enough control to shake their head, glaring at Sans, who just sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “Tori, I didn’t kill his soul. Just his body.” She turned away from Sans, and Frisk let her be alone in their mind, going to hug the skeleton, who sighed, “I did what I had to. He’s dangerous.” Frisk hugged him tighter, nuzzling into his shoulder without a word.

“...Let’s go home.” Papyrus said gently, leading Sans and Frisk back to the apartment, the silence thick between them. Frisk curled up on the couch, watching Sans intently, the short skeleton standing by the window nearby rather than lounging like he usually did. The young human studied him, trying to gauge what he was thinking. His shoulders were slumped, and he leaned against the wall, which told them he was upset or tired, but probably upset. Was he upset about killing the strange child? Was he upset because Toriel was upset at him? His eye sockets were empty in his reflection in the window, making his skull devoid of expression. What was on his mind? Frisk sighed, tearing their eyes away and staring at the quantum joke book sitting by the couch. They tugged it up onto the cushion beside them, flipping it open to a random page they had already read, something about atom parts, judging by the diagram,

_ Gaster. Who was that child? _

Silence. His static was reserved, held back as if debating whether or not to respond, then got gradually louder as he came closer,

**_That ‘child’ is a demon, adopted by Toriel before the Fissure. He has always been strange, even for demons. Most demons are driven by the need for food, but Chara… Chara takes a twisted pleasure in what he does. He bullied weak demons whenever she wasn’t looking, but played the innocent child for her._ **

Frisk bit their lip, shifting to curl up a bit tighter, turning the page and tracing another diagram absently,

**_Chara was one of the first to come to the human world, but at the time he was weak and reckless. He got himself killed attacking a stronger demon, and we all presumed he’d been eaten. He was lucky enough to escape, and retreated to regain the power needed to manifest again in the human world._ **

_ Why did he go after Sans? _

**_It is my understanding that Chara once threatened Papyrus. If there is one thing Sans will defend without hesitation, it’s his brother._ **

_ What about you? Is there something you would protect like that? _

Gaster was silent for a long moment, and Frisk felt their gaze drift to their wrists, looking at the tattoo they could see. The black and blue lines wove together flawlessly, as if the black was meant to be there from the beginning,

**_That is something I will tell you another time. For now, why don’t you see if you can get Sans to stop sulking by the window? Perhaps read some joke books with him._ **

The static faded back again, and Frisk flipped to the first joke book, whistling to get Sans’s attention, waving for him to come sit on the couch. Sans sighed, going to flop onto the couch next to Frisk, one white pupil watching them from the edge of his eye socket,

_ “What do you call a deer with no eyes?” _ They signed, but Sans remained quiet,  _ “No-eye-deer.” _ He let out a faint huff, barely enough to be considered a laugh, so Frisk tried again, miming knocking,

“...’s there?” He mumbled,

_ “Ether.” _

“Ether who?”

_ “Ether bunny. Knock knock.” _

“Who’s there?”

_ “Nuther.” _

“Nuther who?”

_ “Nuther ether bunny. Knock knock.” _

“Who’s there.”

_ “Stella.” _

“Stella who?”

_ “Stella nuther ether bunny. Knock knock.” _

“Who’s there?” Sans rolled his eyes, almost groaning the question,

_ “Cargo.” _

“Cargo who?”

_ “Cargo beep beep! And run over all those ether bunnies!” _

“Ha!” The laugh burst from him abruptly, and he set a hand to his teeth as if to stifle it, snickering anyway, “Oh my god, kid, that’s fucked up.” Frisk smiled proudly,

_ “You’re laughing.” _ They pointed out smugly, and he grinned,

“Yeah, yeah I am. I’m not made of stone.”

_ “No, you’re made of bone.” _ Sans laughed again, and Frisk giggled with him, scooting closer to snuggle up to his side,  _ “Thank you for protecting me. You did the right thing.” _ Sans set an arm around their shoulders, sighing,

“I know. I just… Feel bad for Tori. It’s the first time she’s seen her kid in… Ages. And the first thing she sees is his evil side.”

_ “What about you, though? You’ve never used power like that since you were summoned.” _ Sans went quiet, holding Frisk closer as his voice lowered,

“I didn’t want to give him the chance to hurt you. He was just toying with us today, but he’ll come back. He’s relentless when he’s fixed on something.” Sans’s arm settled over his ribcage, and Frisk got the feeling he was remembering something unpleasant, so they hugged him to distract him, and he relaxed again, ruffling their hair, “Thanks, kiddo. You make things easier to handle.” Frisk smiled and hugged him closer, perking up as spaghetti was offered by Papyrus, who grinned widely. Frisk laughed and took the plate. Familiarity was a comfort for this afternoon.


	15. Unexpected Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk is having a good day. A much needed work day full of happy things. And apparently some help they weren't expecting to get from an unlikely source. At least their demons are okay with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since last chapter introduced someone new, it's time to reveal someone else I have been barely hinting at. How many of you guessed who it was before this chapter? ;)

Frisk felt pampered when they convinced Sans and Papyrus to let them go back to work. Both skeletons were practically hovering in case Frisk needed anything outside their cubicle, and Gaster had control of their left hand to write for them, Toriel humming within their mind to keep them happy. Other summoners would come by to make sure their young coworker was alright, and to crack jokes with Sans, earning laughs throughout the day. At lunch, Frisk settled in the break room, waving to the summoners that greeted them, eating the spaghetti Papyrus had made for them that morning.

“Hello, Frisk.” They looked up, surprised to see Elliot settle nearby with a simple sandwich, “I see you’re doing well.” Frisk nodded, smiling at him cheerfully. Today had been really good so far, and they were bursting with positive energy, which was dearly needed after the severe air that had hung around the apartment after the incident with Chara. Elliot looked them over carefully, his eyes drifting to their arm in its sling, “Oh. I had missed that last time. You were injured?” Frisk nodded, shrugging as they signed,

“Ran into a nasty Level 3 a week or so ago. It broke my arm in the fight.” Sans translated, Elliot’s eyebrows drawing together, creasing his otherwise calm face into a look of concern,

“Does it hurt?” Frisk shook their head, smiling at him to try and dispel his concern. He quieted with thought, frowning to himself as he took a few bites of his sandwich. When he looked at Frisk again, his subtle expression told them he had made a decision, “Could I try something?” Frisk blinked, tilting their head in silent question, “Nothing spectacular, I can’t fix it completely, but… I might be able to encourage the healing process.” Frisk glanced at their skeletons, both shrugging. They had no objections, and Toriel and Gaster were quiet. The young summoner nodded, adjusting themselves so their right arm was easily reached as Elliot moved, kneeling next to Frisk and setting a hand on their upper arm, the other resting over the cast-bound forearm. He took a slow breath, closing his eyes to focus. The room went quiet, and Frisk realized the other summoners had stopped what they were doing to watch too.

Their arm tingled at first, then grew gradually warmer, and Frisk stared at Elliot. They could have sworn his hair was tinted orange now. His hands glowed faintly in a similar orange, and… Was that the smell of wood burning? Frisk’s arm was growing warmer, but never uncomfortably so. It was like their arm was resting next to a fireplace as it crackled away. As Elliot breathed out, Frisk was certain they heard the crackle of a wood fire, and saw the smallest puff of smoke leave his mouth. They were so fascinated by Elliot, they missed Sans’s soft hiss behind them, looking at their arm. It was still just the same, but it felt like some kind of molten liquid was pouring through their bones, heating it from the inside, which made them shiver as they became hyper-aware of their entire arm. Frisk bit their lip, looking at Elliot’s face, but it was still expressionless with his concentration. Instead, their gaze was drawn to his hair. It was… Glowing? They swore it flickered dully like there were coals under his skin. As the heat in their bones reached all the way to their fingers, they flexed them slightly, feeling the heat roll with the movement, following the tendons and muscles back along their forearm. The heat focused toward the middle of their forearm, and then slightly toward the elbow- where the break was, Frisk guessed. Elliot let out another breath, and this time Frisk could clearly see ashy smoke flow from his mouth and curl away toward the ceiling. The heat lingered within their arm, and Frisk wondered if their bones would melt together with so much heat inside them, but soon enough it was receding again, and Frisk’s arm felt cold in the absence of the molten fire. Elliot’s hands slipped away as he stood with the fluid grace of a cat, standing tall and looking down at Frisk, his expression even more reserved now, and when he spoke, there was the subtle crackle of fire under his words,

“That should help.” He said softly, Frisk stared at him in awe, at a loss for words and wondering what just happened. They nodded dumbly, setting their hand over their arm to be sure it wasn’t as cold as it felt. The awed silence stretched throughout the room until Sans stepped closer, slapping Elliot on the back, which startled him, his eyes briefly flaring a bright orange as he looked to the source of the strike,

“Long time no see, buddy.” Sans said, grinning widely. Elliot relaxed when he recognised who it was, his mouth curving up faintly,

“Sans.” He murmured, nodding, “It has been a while since we spoke.” Frisk looked between them, then signed to Sans,

 _“Who?”_ Sans chuckled, leaning against Elliot, who stiffened a bit, then adjusted to support him,

“Kid, meet Grillby. I’d say he’s a cool dude, but he’s actually pretty hot.” Grillby snorted, covering his mouth to hide his smile as he chuckled,

“Sans, that was terrible.”

“Made you laugh, though.” Sans pointed out, grinning up at Grillby. The demon within Elliot contained his quiet laughter, lowering his hand to gently nudge Sans away from his side,

“Yes, but I should go. This is Elliot’s body, not mine.” Sans sighed dramatically, giving Grillby a two-fingered salute,

“Later, Grillbz.” Elliot’s eyes closed, and the fiery features faded away, letting him relax into his usual quiet calm as he smiled a bit at Frisk, who smiled back, signing to him.

“Um…” Elliot hesitated, trying to guess the meaning, eventually looking to Sans for help, who just grinned,

“They said ‘thank you’. I didn’t know Grillby could use healing magic, that was really cool to watch.” Elliot blushed, glancing away as he settled in his seat again,

“Oh, um… Yeah… It’s not really healing in the usual sense, it’s just… Using heat to speed up the natural process slightly. It’ll still take a while to heal properly.” Elliot took a bite of his sandwich, looking self-conscious with all the attention, so Frisk turned back to their spaghetti to let him eat in peace. They did sign excitedly to Sans once they were back in their cubicle, the skeleton laughing and catching their hand,

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. You’re losing half your words without your other hand. Start over, so I can see it better.” Frisk took a deep breath, and repeated the motions,

 _“That was so awesome! I never knew fire demons were real! Or that Elliot had one! And one that YOU know!”_ Sans smiled, leaning against Frisk’s desk,

“Yeah, I know him. He’s pretty chill for a fire demon, too. Most are pretty hotheaded, even without the pun.” Frisk snickered at it anyway, “Fire demons are normally really aggressive and prone to violence, easily upset and all that, but Grillbz is the calmest fire dude I’ve ever met. I mean, hell, he ran a restaurant.” Papyrus scoffed, and Frisk could hear his eyes rolling,

“His food was so greasy, I don’t understand how you could eat that stuff. Really, your diet was terrible back home- it still is! If human food was something you could actually survive on, I have no doubt you’d gorge yourself on that too.” Frisk blinked, looking to Papyrus, then Sans, but receiving no explanation aside from Sans grinning dreamily,

“Ah, ketchup… My sweet temptress, how I miss you…” Frisk stared at him for a long moment, then rolled their eyes, deciding they didn’t want to know and turning back to their paperwork while Sans apparently daydreamed about ketchup. Weird.


	16. Having a Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finally decides to get some answers from their demons, even if it means having to turn to Gaster, since Sans won't give away anything. If only skeletons weren't so cagey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaaaa, that was a lame pun in the summary. Oh well. FINALLY some backstory stuff. ;3c

Frisk stared at the ceiling from their place on the couch, only half listening to the skeleton brothers’ static discussion, finding the cracks and curves in the ceiling’s paint far more interesting right now. They had grown so used to the sound of static in their head and around them that it became part of the general background noise. They closed their eyes and yawned, getting comfy.

_ Gaster, could I ask you a few questions? _

The static grew a little louder, matching the two demons talking nearby,

**_You are capable of such an action._ **

_ What’s the demon world like? _

There was a pause, and then the static wobbled; a chuckle.

**_It is certainly not what you think it is. Our home is not a hellish landscape, but more like a large country compressed to the size of a city. There are five different regions with their own climates and terrain. It was our monarch’s decision to open the rift that would allow demons to roam the human world. He believed the humans had imprisoned demons and wanted revenge. Those who agreed are the ones you fight now, those who either didn’t care or disagreed stayed behind, and those demons are the ones you and your summoner friends call upon._ **

Frisk considered this with interest, tilting their head a bit,

_ What did you do before you went through the Fissure? _

**_I was the Royal Scientist, I created a structure that made use of the unique conditions of our realm to create magical energy that could provide every home with the power it needed. I also had a few… Side projects. Things I could work on once the King had his power source._ **

_ Like what? _

**_I found an interest in the manipulation of temporal forces._ **

Frisk tried to comprehend what the demon had said, scrunching up their nose slightly,

_ You mean… Time travel? _

**_In layman’s terms, yes. I did not get very far before the King called me to help him open the rift. You saw what happened when I succeeded._ **

Frisk nodded absently, recalling the black mass that had consumed his body,

_ What was that? _

**_It was a parasitic creature that I had used to break through the barrier between realms. I had thought weakening the barrier would be more than enough to overfeed it, but its appetite was more than I had accounted for, and once we broke through, it attached itself to my body to feed on my energy and that of other demons and humans. It was quite annoying._ **

Annoying. Right. Frisk got the feeling he wasn’t going to admit how much it hurt.

_ What about Sans and Papyrus? What did they do? _

**_Papyrus was training under Undyne to join the Royal Guard, Sans was… Well, he was being his lazy self while somehow working jobs in four regions._ **

_ How did he keep them if he was so lazy? _

**_I can’t say. He had little interest in anything but his brother._ **

Frisk opened their eyes, looking over at Sans, who was slumped onto the kitchen counter, watching Papyrus cook. He looked half asleep while they talked, but kept the conversation going.

_ That magic he used on Chara… Was that his full power? Chara said he was holding back… _

**_Let me put it this way. Sans will only use as much power as he deems necessary. And it is rare that he decides to use any power at all._ **

_ How much power does he have? _

**_I cannot give it an accurate measurement. If I had some of my equipment from our world, I might be able to get an estimated number, but Sans is quite obstinate about the topic._ **

Frisk glanced at Sans again, the short skeleton seemed to be asleep now, letting Papyrus chatter to himself.

_ Can Papyrus use similar abilities to Sans? I’ve seen him slow my fall, but Sans could actually move Chara. _

**_Papyrus has the potential, but not the intent. He fights to protect, not to hurt, and so he couldn’t use the more violent attacks like Sans. He will rarely deliver the finishing blow._ **

That surprised Frisk, looking at the tall skeleton. He’d fought all kinds of demons. He’d killed Gaster when he was consumed by the parasite.

**_Watch him fight on your next patrol. He’ll weaken a demon, but it is Undyne who actually kills it._ **

_ She always yells at Sans for not killing a demon, why not Papyrus? _

**_She has trained him personally. She knows that he would not kill anyone if given the option. He is innocent in many ways, and Undyne wants to protect that. He only killed me to deny the parasite its host and kill it._ **

_ To save you, you mean. _

**_In a manner of speaking. I think Sans took some satisfaction in throwing me into the wall, though._ **

_ That was Sans? _

Now that they thought about it, after seeing what Sans did to Chara, it made sense that it was him who had stopped Gaster to help his brother defeat him.

**_Indeed. As I said, he prefers acting where no one can see him. He has many secrets that you have yet to learn._ **

_ Can you tell me some? _

**_I am capable of sharing information._ **

Frisk waited, but was met with only static.

_ Gaster. _

**_It is not my information to give, you know. I am merely indulging your curiosity._ **

_ You seem to like giving partial secrets. _

**_Observations of behavior and habits. Remember that I make a hobby of studying those around me._ **

_ Alright, then what is Sans’s Price? Do you know that? _

**_I thought it was obvious. Then again, humans cannot see the flow of energy like we can. If you haven’t learned it by now, I won’t spoil the surprise. And no, I won’t tell you what Papyrus’s is either._ **

Frisk huffed, glaring at the floor, since Gaster had no physical form to direct the sour look at. He was so infuriating, dangling the knowledge in front of them.

**_That is the nature of learning. One with knowledge cannot simply give the knowledge to another, the recipient learns better by figuring it out on their own._ **

_ The last time I heard something like that, it was because the teacher didn’t know the answer. _

Gaster chuckled, and Frisk felt a bony hand settle unseen on their shoulder,

**_You are a clever human. You will figure out what you want to know in time. Perhaps when you learn to be more observant toward those two._ **

_ How do you know them so well? _

**_I saw them often when they were younger. Before Sans took to being the laziest demon in existence with too many jobs, and Papyrus began training to be in the Royal Guard._ **

Frisk stared at the two skeletons, tilting their head a bit as they mulled it over.

_ They spent more time with you when they were young? _

**_Yes._ **

_...Were they part of your side projects? _

Gaster was silent, and Frisk got the feeling they had discovered a sensitive subject. Maybe that was why the brothers had been hostile when he took up residence in Frisk’s mind.

**_Sans was more interested in my projects as a young child. He and Papyrus…_ **

Gaster hesitated, then let out a staticy sigh, as if resigning himself to confessing.

**_They were my finest accomplishments._ **

Frisk’s hand rose, and they looked at it, surprised by the dark hole in their palm, blinking, and then realizing it was Gaster’s static-y projection. They stared at the hole, turning their hand over to see it on the back of their hand too,

**_Creating life is not without its cost._ **

Frisk’s gaze snapped up to the brothers in surprise. They were made from Gaster?

**_I created them for one of my projects. But I was not very good at remaining unbiased about my work back then._ **

Frisk observed the brothers as Papyrus roused Sans to try his spaghetti, smiling fondly at the scene,

_ That’s who you would protect, isn’t it? That’s why you came to me. _

**_Sans and Papyrus are capable of handling certain demons, but I won’t leave them in a situation they can’t handle._ **

_ Sans seemed like he could handle Chara. _

**_Chara is relentless. He will wear Sans down until he can’t defend himself. That’s where I come in._ **

Frisk accepted that answer, sitting up as Papyrus brought over spaghetti, thanking him and starting to eat.

_ You said you can speak the same language as them, but you used sign to talk to them before. Why? _

**_My language is not really speech, but magic formed in ways that we can see and hear. It’s just easier to call it speech._ **

_ So you can’t actually talk, and I can only hear you now because you’re tied to my mind? _

**_You see, you are clever enough to figure these things out._ **

_ Only if you give me enough information. _

**_Consider it a puzzle. Toriel tells me you are fond of those. You shall find the solution if you remain observant._ **

_ Or I’ll get a headache trying. _

They chuckled to themself, looking up as Sans flopped onto the couch next to them, grinning,

“Whatcha laughing at, kiddo?” He asked, propping his feet up on Frisk’s knees,

_ “I said something funny to Gaster, that’s all. By the way, Sans, why did the oyster have so many pearls?” _ Sans grinned wider,

“You tell me, kid.”

_ “Because he was shellfish!” _ They laughed together, Papyrus groaning in exasperation,

“Oh, god, you’ve corrupted them.” Frisk glanced at Sans, their smile getting wider, and they both started laughing again.


	17. Good News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk gets some good news about their arm, and has some bonding time with their skelebros. Also Gaster encourages them to be a bit nosy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what my fingers were doing for this chapter. It just kinda fell out of my hands and I couldn't think of how to change it, so here we go. A little filler before stuff actually happens.

Frisk was hopeful as they went to visit the doctor to check on their arm’s progress. They were being driven nuts by how itchy their arm got under the cast, and their shoulder cramped a lot from having the sling holding their arm in place. They couldn’t stop fidgeting in the waiting room, watching Sans fiddle with a rubik’s cube he’d gotten from… Somewhere. Frisk had given up on trying to figure out where Sans managed to get things that he produced from his pockets. It was just easier to let him do what he wanted, since it wasn’t harming anyone. The skeleton stifled a yawn, slumping against his brother, who simply sighed, his head tilting in a way that meant he would be rolling his eyes if he had any, and scooped the shorter demon into his lap where he could fall asleep undisturbed. When Frisk’s name was called, Papyrus hoisted Sans up under one arm and carried him after the young summoner, waiting in the offered seat while Frisk got their examination and check-up.

“I’m impressed, Frisk; your arm has almost completely healed! Perhaps being a summoner has its benefits.” The doctor said, smiling at Frisk, who blushed a bit and laughed, shaking their head, “Ah well, I’m not cut out for it anyway. Give it another week in the cast to be sure it’s fully healed, and then we can take it off.” Frisk nodded eagerly, brightening up. Finally. It felt like ages since their arm was broken, and they were ready to get rid of the cast and get back to fighting back the demons. If what Gaster said was true, then there was a king of the demons that they would have to stop to end the war between humans and demons. Frisk wondered if Charlie had learned that yet, or if her demon had avoided the topic like Sans and Papyrus.

**_I doubt she talks to her companion as much as you do. She seems to have the mindset that we are merely tools to an end. I shudder to think who has to put up with her sour attitude on a regular basis._ **

Frisk rejoined Papyrus, leading him back out of the medical facility to head home,

_ If I remember correctly, hers is canine, but I’ve never met them. _

**_Canine? She has one of-_ **

Gaster stopped short in surprise, considering the information quietly,

**_Interesting. I might have a guess who her companion is, then._ **

_ Who is it? _

**_Of the canine families, only one has enough patience for short-tempered individuals, and are fairly low maintenance. Ask her about it when you see her next._ **

Damn Gaster and his half-answers. Well, Frisk would be seeing Charlie tomorrow, so they would wait to figure it out then. In the meantime, Frisk wanted to try and finish the quantum joke book with Toriel and Gaster.

“My demon? Where is this coming from, Frisk?” Charlie looked almost offended by the question, Frisk ducking their head sheepishly,

_ “I was curious, since you never really talk about them.” _ They explained, glancing at her hopefully. Charlie sighed and sat back in her chair,

“It isn’t that interesting. It’s just a dog. It thinks dog thoughts and behaves like a dog.”

_ “Gaster says there’s multiple dog demons.” _ Frisk signed, hoping to get more of an answer from her. She frowned, narrowing her eyes,

“And your demon knows everything, does it?”

_ “No, but- He knows a lot about demons. He told me some interesting stuff when I talked to him a few days ago.” _ Charlie sighed, rubbing her eyes and shaking her head,

“It’s just a dog. A big dog, but still a dog. Satisfied?” Frisk nodded, and she dismissed them. They rejoined their demons in their cubicle, Sans yawning widely where he was sitting in Papyrus’s lap,

“Welcome back. Man, this place gets more boring the more we come here.” Sans mused, stuffing his hands in his pockets while Papyrus adjusted him to settle more comfortably,

“Remind me, human, why do you have to come here and do all of this anyway? You are sent out on patrols with Undyne, why not stick to that?” The taller demon asked, and Frisk merely shrugged, watching Gaster twirl their pen before signing in his practically textbook-perfect way. He no personalized tics to his movements, each letter he made was just right, just like when he wrote. It was strange.

_ “The chief believes our human cannot maintain their energy output well enough to be put in combat on a regular basis. It’s a ridiculous idea, and a waste of good resources. Present data proves they are more than capable of maintaining four separate demons with little trouble. It’s not like some of you take much upkeep.” _ Sans scoffed, making a rude gesture in Frisks general direction,

“Up yours, Dings.” He said, yawning again and letting his white pupils vanish, “You should tell Charlie to let you patrol all the time. I’m sure Paps would enjoy it much better than sitting around here watching Dings write for you.” Frisk nodded, and Gaster made a note on a post-it pad, then he and Frisk got to work on churning through paperwork.

Frisk could have cheered when they were finally given the go-ahead to take off their cast, putting the itchy limb under cool water to wash off the gross feeling and finally have an excuse to scratch it in the same moment. Feeling refreshed, they spent the entire ride home with Sam exercising the unused muscles to get them back up to par with the other arm, signing or stretching or just picking things up, anything to get their arm fully functional again. Sam joked that they would get super muscular with their determination to be able to use their arm, and Frisk laughed, playfully smacking him.

They were so glad to be able to use both arms again, bidding Sam farewell when he dropped them off, and then going to the little gym their apartment complex had, getting to work lifting weights until they couldn’t feel their arm from the soreness, bouncing into their apartment and greeting Sans and Papyrus, who both grinned back.

“Finally got it off, nice.” Sans offered a thumbs-up, and Frisk grinned, going to pounce him with a hug, getting him to grunt in surprise and laugh, patting their back, “Well you’re energetic now. That happy about it?” Frisk nodded enthusiastically, bouncing a bit before going to hug Papyrus, getting wrapped up in his long arms,

“It is wonderful to see you in such a good mood, human! I should cook you something extra special to celebrate this occasion!” Frisk brightened even more, signing excitedly,

_ “Will you help me make a pie, Papyrus?” _ They asked, and he grinned,

“Of course! I, the Great Papyrus, am just as skilled in baking as I am cooking!” He set Frisk down, enthusiastically helping with making the pie, which Frisk had learned from Toriel, who offered instruction where she needed to. Sans came over to sit on an unoccupied part of the counter to watch them, smiling fondly as they worked together. The butterscotch and cinnamon scents filled the apartment, and Frisk sighed happily while the pie was baking, sitting in front of the oven to watch expectantly. They smiled at Toriel’s gentle chiding of their impatience, but knew full well she enjoyed mothering them as well.

Frisk practically melted with joy when they finally got to try their pie, sighing happily and relaxing against Sans on the couch. Everything was wonderful, and tomorrow they could get back to patrolling with Terry. They were eager to kick some demon ass again and see if they couldn’t prove to Charlie that they could take care of themselves with four demons helping them. They settled with one of Toriel’s books that evening, wrapped up in Papyrus’s embrace while Sans napped beside them, propped up on Papyrus’s shoulder. Frisk hoped they could see more of Gaster’s powers tomorrow, perhaps to better understand that skull thing he’d used to save them before.


	18. Flames of Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk's first day back on patrol doesn't quite go how they'd hoped, and they end up in a dangerous situation that threatens to kill them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chara's back! He's in the later half of this chapter, so for those who wish to skip his part, that's what to avoid. I do hope you'll at least skim it, there's some cool stuff involving the little demon kid.

Terry greeted Frisk cheerfully when they jogged out to her car, Papyrus following with long strides to keep up. Sans was draped on Papyrus’s back, already asleep even as he clung, koala-like, to his brother to stay in place. They all climbed into Terry’s car, Frisk taking the time to make sure their arm was alright, which made Terry chuckle,

“You’re excited. Missed me that much, huh?” Frisk nodded, smiling at her, “Sitting at home gets way too boring, huh?” Frisk nodded earnestly, getting a laugh from her, “No kidding. Undyne hated the last time I had to take sick leave. Kept trying to get me to ‘exercise the illness away’. You can imagine how bad that would have been.” Frisk giggled and nodded, looking where they were going today and perking up a bit. This was an area that had the worst problems with demons, there was sure to be plenty to deal with.

_“You think if we do well today, Charlie will let me patrol full-time?”_ Frisk asked when they got out of the car, Terry smiling and giving Frisk a little noogie,

“Definitely. Do your best, Frisk.” Frisk nodded and they headed into the quarantine zone with skeletons in tow, ready to face whatever demons came their way.

Frisk had lost track of time since they started the patrol. There were probably dozens of demons they fought in just the first hour. Papyrus fought valiantly alongside Terry, and Sans watched their backs to keep any ambushes from overwhelming them. Toriel’s flames proved invaluable to hindering the numerous plant-like demons that swarmed them. How many of these demons were there anyway? Frisk had lost count, and Sans wasn’t muttering the number to himself any more to help them remember. In other words, there were too many. Frisk didn’t care where they were coming from, they just wished they would stop coming from there.

_On your right!_

Frisk dove to the left just in time to miss a projectile that would have torn through their side, thanking Toriel as they twisted around to spot the source and throw a fireball at it. The thorny demon howled as it caught fire, Frisk clenching their fist to consume it with the flames before moving on to help Sans before another demon could to pin him in a corner. Sans grinned at Frisk as they knocked the demon aside, letting him pin it with bones so they could shove a fireball into its viney chest and set it ablaze.

“Nice one, kiddo. Now c’mon, Undyne and Papyrus are about to find a whole other nest of flowery assholes.” Sans said, and Frisk nodded, both going to find the pair and help them get the upper hand on the plants.

“Ugh. Where do they GET all of these things?!” Terry-Undyne snapped as she tore through a tree-like one, her arm snapping out with green energy glowing around her hand, a willowy demon stopped mid-leap and dropping to the ground, frozen in place as she called up several spears to pierce its body. “There’s no way there’s not some kind of source for these fuckers!”

“Well, until we can find the demon making these, we’ve gotta just carve through the ones here.” Sans replied, knocking demons back with bones and letting Frisk set them on fire. “But man, it’d be great if we could get some more firepower here. Tori can only use fireballs.” Frisk nodded, summoning multiple and shoving them forward to attack a group of demons. Sans’s head snapped up briefly, and he grabbed Frisk, pulling them back toward Terry and Papyrus, “Incoming!” He called, and a powerful stream of fire shot through a chunk of the demons, turning them to ashes in moments. Frisk’s mouth fell open in awe, their eyes going wide when Elliot stepped around the corner, one hand wreathed in fire, and smoke trailing from his mouth, his face set in a grim frown.

“Stay still, please.” He said quietly, and both Papyrus and Undyne set their backs to Sans to stay out of his way. Elliot-Grillby raised his flaming hand and opened it as another stream of fire burst forth, turning more plant demons to ashes with barely-voiced wails. Frisk watched in awe, holding Sans’s sleeve without thinking. That was the power of a fire demon? It was… Amazing. Grillby was so powerful, and yet so perfectly controlled that there was almost an elegance to his movements. Once all the demons were gone, the fire flickered away, and Elliot closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to let out one last cloud of smoke as the coal-like flickering within his hair faded away. He turned to look at them, giving a small smile and a wave,

“Hello.” Terry recovered first, stepping toward him as she looked around at the smoldering ashes around them,

“That… That was amazing, Elliot! Your demon is so cool!” She said, her face splitting with a wide grin, “We’ve been at this for practically ages, and you show up and- WHOOSH! Everything’s dead! Dude, that was the best thing EVER!” Elliot laughed shyly, looking away as he turned a bit pink under the attention,

“Thanks… He doesn’t really like causing so much damage, but… Yeah. He’s pretty cool.” Sans let go of Frisk, going to offer Elliot his bony fist, grinning,

“Either way, thanks for the help. We owe you one.” Elliot smiled, bumping knuckles with the skeleton, and then laughing a little bit,

“He says you can return the favor by paying your tab.” Sans stiffened a bit, then started laughing as well,

“Aw come _on_ Grillbz! Even after the whole Fissure thing? Cut me some slack, man, I’m not even in a place where I can give you money!” Sans turned out his pockets, “I don’t even _have_ money here!” Frisk giggled silently, Elliot smiling and waving it off,

“He’s only joking. I’m just glad I could help. You guys were starting to look a little overwhelmed. Mind if I walk with you?” Terry welcomed him readily, and Papyrus offered his own thanks, picking up Frisk and setting them on his back like he had done with Sans that morning. Frisk used his collarbone as a way to hold on, bracing their feet on his hip bones for stability. They walked together, Sans and Elliot talking about Grillby to pass the time.

**_Get ready to jump down._ **

Frisk was startled by Gaster’s voice cutting through the quiet, they had been walking for a few blocks, and Frisk was just starting to really get comfy on Papyrus.

**_They will be aiming for your head. You need to get off Papyrus._ **

Frisk shifted their grip to his shoulders, trying to see what Gaster had apparently noticed, but nothing was on the street around them as far as they could see. Just Sans and Elliot murmuring quietly together and Terry leading them.

**_Now!_ **

Frisk let their grip slip and dropped to the ground behind Papyrus, something whizzing past his shoulder and startling everyone. Terry summoned a spear, searching for a source, and Elliot tensed, both skeletons summoning bones as Frisk called up a fireball. A laugh echoed through the empty street, and a child strolled from an alley with a vine coiled around its arm, ending in a bright yellow flower on their shoulder.

“Well gee, and here I thought you weren’t paying attention.” The child cooed, turning to give them a sharp-toothed grin, red eyes glowing. Frisk felt their blood run cold as they recognised that face. It was Chara. Sans had gone silent, his skull unreadable again, and Chara giggled, his features warping to look more like Frisk, which made them flinch back a bit. “Would you like me better if I looked like this?” Terry growled, summoning a second spear into her other hand, Papyrus shifting slightly to guard Frisk, but Chara just grinned wider, their vine wrapped arm lifting slightly, and the flower moving to face them. Frisk heard Sans hiss in a breath when they saw that the flower actually had a face that gave them a fanged grin and a manic giggle, its coils moving on Chara’s arm as if it were a snake.

**_To the right!_ **

Frisk jumped aside, narrowly missing the vine that burst from the ground, trying to grab them, following Gaster’s sharp commands to avoid the unseen attacks, only to get caught from behind, gasping as a vine wrapped around their body and pulled them into the air. Just like the flower demon before. Frisk struggled fiercely, trying to break free as the vine moved to bring them closer to Chara and the flower,

“Hmm… I don’t see what’s so special about a weak little human like you.” Chara crooned in his sickeningly sweet voice, reaching out to stroke Frisk’s cheek. Frisk turned their face away, straining against the vine as the flower laughed again,

“Didn’t I break your arm?” It asked, baring its fangs menacingly, “Maybe I need to break both of them this time. Or your legs! Or your ribs!!” It grew more excited, and Frisk gasped as the vine squeezed tighter, barely hearing Terry call out to them through the blood rushing in their ears. A vine snaked around their neck, and they struggled more as it threatened to strangle them. “Or maybe I should just break your **neck** _._ ” The flower’s voice suddenly dropped to a deep growl as its eyes glowed red.

_Chara, no!!_

Frisk grit their teeth, angered by how upset Toriel sounded, and tried to call on her magic to burn the vine, but she wouldn’t offer anything. She couldn’t hurt her own child. Frisk silently cursed the flower, clenching their fists as they turned to Gaster instead.

**_I thought you’d never ask. Forgive me, My Lady._ **

Frisk focused all their anger into the rush of static that flowed into their hands. Chara’s grin faltered and his eyes went wide as his body glowed blue. Frisk threw their arm to the side, and felt cold satisfaction watching Chara get flung into a wall with a cry. The vine loosened and dropped Frisk to the ground as the flower hit the wall with the demon child. Frisk stood tall, reaching out with the blue energy sparking around their hand, focusing solely on the flower, and yanking hard. The flower wailed as it was torn away from Chara, torn from its vine anchoring and hovering before Frisk, who narrowed their eyes with a glare. They raised their other hand, static racing through their arm to their hand as it glowed, one of Gaster’s skulls forming beside them. The flower trembled and cowered away from Frisk as best it could when trapped in place, the air filled with a static-like whine as the skull opened its bisected jaw, the blue glow within glowing brighter until it launched its blast at the flower, obliterating it.

Frisk lowered their hands, and the skull dissipated, turning their attention to where Chara sat stunned against the wall. His mouth opened and closed with attempts to speak, and Frisk glowered at him, Sans and Papyrus coming to flank them, Papyrus’s hand sparking with orange energy as he gripped a bone, Sans’s eyes dark as he toyed with another. Terry came up beside Papyrus, shimmering with Undyne’s green scales, fins flared wide as an unspoken warning, and Elliot stood beside Sans, fire crackling around his hand. Chara shrank back, looking between them all, clearly nervous.

“This isn’t over! I can kill you all!” He shouted, getting to his feet and summoning a knife to throw at Frisk, who merely watched it, Papyrus parrying the knife with a bone. Chara hesitated, and Sans flicked his hand, a wall of bones shooting through the ground to block Chara from getting closer.

**Get lost.** Sans’s voice echoed ominously around them, and Chara grit his teeth, retreating reluctantly. Once he was gone, Frisk relaxed, swaying uneasily and falling to their knees, suddenly dizzy. Terry and Elliot turned to them with worry, Papyrus scooping them into his arms,

“Human, are you alright?” He asked, holding them close. Frisk nodded, curling into his chest and closing their eyes.

“They’ll be alright. Gaster just pumped them full of magic and now they’re feeling the after-effects. They just need to rest.” Frisk felt Sans’s hand on their arm, and offered a little smile, nodding. “We’ll take them home. Terry, Elliot, I think we’re done for the day. Going up against that little psycho once is enough.” Frisk heard them agree, and held their breath as Papyrus began walking away, passing through Sans’s shortcut and getting laid on the familiar softness of the couch, staying awake long enough to sign a thank you to the skeletons before slipping into unconsciousness.


	19. A New Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk has so much energy pent up, but no good way to expend it. Thankfully, Frisk is just the right person who can help with the newest summoning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lag between chapters, my time hasn't been too well spent in the writing department. I keep getting ideas for new stuff and abandoning the old stuff. As I am always prone to doing when I get the writing kick.
> 
> Aaaanyway. Summonings! Hopefully I can churn out a new chapter soon-ish.

Frisk drummed their fingers on their desk as they stared at the paperwork before them. They felt like they were bursting with pent-up energy now. After they had recovered from the magical overdose, Charlie had insisted they take some time to recuperate, despite their protests that they were fine. They felt energized now, they wanted to get back out and fight the demons!

**_It is a side effect of using a rush of power like that. You’re riding the energy high. Your chief is right to give you this break, or you would burn too much energy and go unconscious again. Not what you want to happen in a fight._ **

Damn Gaster for being right. Frisk sighed and sulkily got to work filling in information. They wished they could use the high productively at least.

“Frisk?” They perked up and turned, Chris waving from the doorway, “Sorry to bother you. Charlie’s got me setting up another summon, wanna help?” Frisk tilted their head, curious,

_ “Who?” _ They asked, and Chris gestured vaguely,

“Oh, it’s for Elliot. He wasn’t sure who to get, so Charlie had me pick. I need people with fire affinity to get his demon summoned, and you’ve got Toriel, so…” Frisk smiled and nodded, getting up to follow Chris, signing to them,

_ “I’ve never met your demon. What are they like?” _ Chris blushed a bit, shrugging,

“Alphys is really nice, if super shy. She’s the one who helps me understand your sign language, actually. She knows a lot about demons, and is a big help with summoning. She says she used to be a scientist.” Frisk looked at Chris with interest,

_ “Did she know someone named Gaster?” _ they asked, and Chris paused, then nodded,

“Yeah, she did. Who’s Gaster?” Frisk’s hands moved neatly as Gaster borrowed them.

_ “That would be me. Hello, Dr. Alphys, it has been a while.” _ Chris looked surprised, then her demeanor changed and she hunched slightly, fidgeting even more,

“Ah, hello, D-Doctor. It’s, uh… N-nice to see you again.” She straightened again, clearing her throat a bit,

“Oh. I didn’t know you had another.” Frisk smiled sheepishly, shrugging,

_ “It wasn’t intentional, I promise. But he followed Sans and Papyrus to me.” _ Chris nodded, opening the door to where the summoning would be held, Elliot already waiting with a couple summoners Frisk hadn’t met yet. They waved at Frisk and Chris anyway, and Chris busied herself with getting the circle ready, glancing at Elliot,

“A-are you sure about this, Grillby?” She asked, fidgeting a bit, and Elliot nodded, though his stance belied his nervousness, “Charlie can pick someone else. Y-you don’t have to-”

“I will be of more use in my own body, Dr. Alphys. I will not change my mind.” Grillby said softly, and Chris nodded, getting to work drawing the lines, her hands steady and practiced. Frisk took up their spot, watching Elliot curiously. He seemed to flicker between sharing his body with Grillby and pushing him back. Was he really that nervous? Once Chris was done one of the others took out a lighter and made their way to each candle, lighting them carefully. Chris opened the summoning book, flipping through the pages. The page she stopped on wasn’t the same one she had used for Frisk or Sam, but Frisk didn’t have time to ask, as she began reading and Toriel made herself known at the front of Frisk’s mind to lend her magic.

The candles flickered and flared erratically with the amount of magic that flowed into the circle to call Grillby into their realm. Frisk saw Elliot grimace faintly as his presence moved and made itself known to the others. Frisk shivered as the powerful energy flowed past them, all of the candle flames flaring and stretching into the circle as if blown by a phantom wind. The tongues of fire continued to get longer until they collected in the middle, forming a white-hot ball of light that caused spots in Frisk’s vision. It was like they were creating a tiny star in the circle, and the fire kept compacting into that orb for a few more moments, then the flames died down until they were back to their places on the wicks, the white orb pressing in on itself to get even smaller, and then bursting out, Frisk gasping at the wave of heat that blasted past them, the orb expanding and warping into a humanoid shape, the limbs fading to a warm orange fire and the white compacting into the shape’s chest to form a burning plasma core that fueled the rest of the body.

Frisk stared in awe as the humanoid straightened up with careful movements and giving itself a decisive shake, little tongues of flame breaking off and fading, the body becoming less raw fire and a much clearer shape. Grillby’s featureless head split with two white eyes, looking around at the summoners and the room. Elliot stepped forward, and Grillby turned to him, wordlessly holding out his hand, which Elliot cut his wrist over, letting some drops of blood sizzle away in the heat. Grillby’s flames crackled and tinted a little red, then went back to their natural orange, Grillby nodding to Elliot in acceptance. No words were spoken, Elliot had probably discussed his terms before the summoning, this was just the summoning formality to agree and seal the deal. Elliot pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket, offering them to Grillby, who took them and put them on, following his summoner to get dressed.

Frisk found it interesting how every demon they had summoned so far preferred to be clothed. Perhaps humans and demons shared similar ideas of what was deemed proper. Once Grillby was dressed, Frisk found themself staring. Somehow the slacks, shirt, and vest he wore made living fire really attractive. Chris was blushing in Frisk’s peripheral, and fiddling with her hair.

“Hello, everyone.” Frisk started when a voice broke the silence, barely loud enough to be audible, but mixed with the soft crackle of fire. They turned to Grillby, surprised. They had thought he had no mouth to speak with, but he simply nodded to Frisk, “It’s nice to meet you in person.” His flame stayed the same around his white eyes, but words still came from him. It was amazing.

**_I am not the only one who speaks with magic. His is just easier to understand._ **

Frisk smiled, following Elliot and Grillby out of the summoning room, eager to tell Sans and Papyrus the news. Sans perked up almost as soon as Grillby’s name was spelled out, hopping up from Papyrus’s lap to follow Frisk through the office.

“Hey, Grillby!” He called, grinning at the well-dressed demon as he followed Elliot out of Charlie’s office,

“Hello, Sans.” He replied, nodding to the skeleton, “It’s good to see you again.” Sans chuckled, clapping him on the back,

“Good to have you with us, Grillbz. Can’t wait to see you put your fire to work. My stomach missed you.” Grillby chuckled quietly, shaking his head,

“You don’t have internal organs, Sans. Your “stomach” is nonexistent.” He pointed out, and Frisk smiled in amusement,

“True, but still. If you start cooking again, I’d love to get in on it.” Sans quieted down a bit as they walked, “Be careful in the field, Grillby. Don’t want you to lose your head.” Grillby nodded, his fire crackling a little louder for a moment,

“I am prepared.”


	20. Soldiers Reunited in War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Grillby providing a new strength to the summoners in his corporeal body, Elliot and Frisk have been teaming up to keep the demons at bay. Today, however, they travel much closer to the Fissure than normal, and Frisk meets a demon who may change the war for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New character chapter~! Everybody loves a new character chapter~!
> 
> Also more Chara, because the little monster will never really be gone.

Grillby proved to be an effective ally in fights, forcing back demons with fierce bursts of fire, or in the case of the plant-types, setting them ablaze. Frisk tagged along with Elliot and Grillby on a few patrols, the fire demon chatting amiably with Sans and Papyrus. It was on one such patrol that Frisk felt an uneasiness in the air. The corporeal demons were talking, but quietly. Elliot chewed on his lip, tense and wary of every dark shadow. Papyrus fell quiet after a few more blocks, and Sans set a hand on his brother’s arm, both on high alert. Frisk stuck close to their demons, glancing around more often than not. They had never been this close to the Fissure before, and the silence was unnerving. There were no animals here, no trees or grass, nothing was alive here. The air smelled ashy, like something had burned recently. Grillby walked a couple steps ahead of them, as a buffer against frontal attacks, and his fire burned almost yellow with how alert and tense he was.

Grillby’s head snapped up, and his flames roared, grabbing something before it could pierce his body, Frisk gasped, staring at the red trident Grillby was holding. Sans and Papyrus flanked Frisk and Elliot, Sans watching their backs and Papyrus watching their sides. Frisk bit their lip, watching Grillby worriedly. His face didn’t change except for his white eyes narrowing as he lifted the weapon and stabbed it into the ground, standing tall and smoothing his vest,

“Greeting customs have changed, it seems.” He said, almost scolding, “You won’t even see us personally before attacking, that seems rather rude.” A figure approached slowly, its movements slow, like it was exhausted.

“I know that voice…” The voice was deep, confused and wondering, “Is that really you, old friend?” The figure became more clear, a tall, broad-shouldered goat-like demon with a full, blond beard. Frisk’s mouth fell open slightly, then snapped shut again. Grillby scoffed, resting a hand on the trident that had nearly run him through,

“I’m not sure that ‘friend’ is the word I would use now, Your Majesty. After all, you did just try to kill me.” Frisk looked up at Grillby, then back at the tall demon, whose shoulders slumped with weariness. Was this the king Gaster had mentioned? He certainly didn’t look like a ruler who wanted revenge against humans. He just looked tired.

“Forgive me, Grillby. It has been a long time, and I thought you were human.” The demon said, giving an apologetic smile before turning his gaze to the two skeletons who hadn’t moved from guarding Frisk and Elliot, “Papyrus? Sans? Is it really you?” Sans slipped his hands into his jacket pockets, shrugging with a lazy smile,

“In the bones. Goat to see you.” His tone was casual, but Frisk could tell he wasn’t really as relaxed as he was acting. The goat demon laughed a little, holding out his paw,

“It is good to see you three out here. I hope you will forgive me if I do not stay and chat, I have been fighting to keep what ground I have gained from the humans.” Frisk felt a fire well up in their body they hadn’t felt before, and before they could stop it, their arm flung a fireball at the demon, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him back. He stumbled and fell on his ass, looking bewildered as Frisk’s body moved without them, summoning more fireballs as white fur glowed over their skin.

_“Coward.”_ Toriel signed through them, _“There is no excuse for the lives you have taken in this world. The children who have lost their families- the homes you have destroyed! How dare you!”_ The demon gaped, then shrank back, trying to look so much smaller,

“T… Tori…?” He flinched away as a fireball flew past his ear, singing his fur,

_“Don’t ‘Tori’ me, Asgore! Do you have any idea what you have DONE?!”_ She gestured broadly to the burned ground and ruined buildings, _“Look around you! Do you think this will change how we are treated?! The humans fight just to stay alive, and here you are thinking you have ANY right to claim this as your own?”_ A hand landed on Frisk’s shoulder, and they turned to look at Sans, who gave them a gentle smile,

“Easy, Toriel. He’ll get what’s coming to him. But I don’t think this is entirely his fault. Look at him.” Frisk looked at the cowering demon, who avoided Frisk’s gaze guiltily, “He doesn’t want to keep doing it. But I bet I know who does.” Frisk looked confused, but movement in the corner of their eye made them jump back, pulling Sans with them, a knife flying past them to embed in the remnants of a wall. The sickly-sweet laugh was all Frisk needed to hear as they stood again, angrily summoning a fireball. Chara walked over to Asgore, draping his arms around the demon’s neck, giving Frisk a fanged grin,

“I knew I smelled Mother on you. Isn’t this great, Father? We’re all reunited again!” He giggled, then paused, tapping his chin, “Oh, but that’s right, your real son isn’t here. Not since that _human_ killed him.” Frisk tensed, narrowing their eyes at Chara, who nuzzled into the confused goat demon,

“I was there, you know. When they murdered him. Used one of those skeleton blasters to obliterate him.” Static hissed loudly in the back of Frisk’s mind, and they had an image of the yellow flower flash through their mind. That was their son?

**_He did not look like himself, as he was killed by humans long ago and severely weakened. The flower is the only thing he can manifest as._ **

Gaster sounded irritated, and nudged against Frisk’s mind,

**_Do not make Toriel fight her son. I will handle this._ **

Frisk hesitated, and Chara giggled again, red eyes gleaming hungrily,

“He just needs a good host. I’m sure he’d love to take over the body of his murderer.” His slid off of Asgore, shoving his hand into the ground, a vine growing up around Chara’s arm, coiling around it, a yellow flower blooming over Chara’s shoulder, its center forming as that face that had threatened Frisk with death before, grinning evilly, “What do you think, Flowey? Would they make a good host?”

“A human soul to feast on would be perfect.” It hissed, and Frisk tensed, raising a fireball warily.

“Asriel?” The flower paused, looking at Asgore, who gently reached out to touch the petals, “Is it really you, my son?” The flower flinched back, then leaned toward the warm paw,

“It’s me, Dad… I’ll be myself soon, I promise…” It murmured, but Frisk didn’t trust it, banishing the fire and letting Toriel return to her place while Gaster came forward. He didn’t make his presence known just yet, poised and waiting. Sans stood at Frisk’s side, tense and ready, Grillby coming up to their other side, crackling a hot yellow-orange,

“Asgore,” Grillby began, interrupting his reunion, “You have risked the lives of too many humans and demons. You cannot continue this folly.” Asgore looked away with a sigh, nodding,

“You’re right, old friend. Perhaps it is best we return to our world. There is nothing for us up here.” He got to his feet, but Chara grabbed his paw,

“No! You can’t leave! They’ve been corrupted by the humans, they’re fighting against us!” He cried, trying to stop Asgore, who only sighed, setting his other paw on Chara’s head,

“I know that, Chara, I have seen them in battle before. I do not wish to fight my people any more.” Chara loosened their hold, looking betrayed,

“But… How can you listen to traitors? You promised you would destroy the humans!” He protested, but Asgore shook his head, turning away,

“I cannot do that, Chara. Come, we’re going home.” Chara watched him for a moment, then grit his teeth, reaching out to grab thin air, Frisk tensing when the red trident was tugged from the ground and swung around to point at Asgore’s back.

_No!!_

Toriel screamed in Frisk’s mind, and the young summoner acted without thinking, shoving Chara with Gaster’s magic. The trident dropped, and Grillby caught it, stepping forward as he pushed his sleeves up to his elbows, approaching Chara as the demon recovered, the flower yelping and cowering away from the crackling demon looming over them.

“Ch-Chara…?” It whimpered, and the red-eyed child looked up, glaring at the fire,

“You don’t scare me!” He snapped, but Grillby said nothing, simply shifting his grip on the trident, his flaming hand flaring and lighting the red weapon ablaze, his arm snapping forward to stab the flower, which tried to scream, only for it to be cut off, the vine withering almost instantly. Chara edged away from the trident, not daring to look away from Grillby. He summoned a knife, but Grillby simply grabbed it out of the air and tossed it away, taking off his glasses to tuck into his vest pocket,

“Run.” Grillby said softly, and when Chara didn’t move fast enough, his face suddenly split with a jagged maw, white-hot and warping the air as he slammed a fist into the ground, his fire starting to lose its humanoid shape, and when he spoke, it was more the roar of flame than words, “ ** _RUN!_** __" Chara bolted, and once he was out of sight, Grillby stood again, the gash of a mouth closing and vanishing. His fire died down to normal levels, and he put his glasses back on, fixing his sleeves before picking up the trident, which was no longer coated in flame, turning to walk back to Elliot and offer the weapon to him, “Asgore will want this back. Keep it safe.” Elliot nodded, looking a little awed as he hefted the trident onto his shoulder,

“That looks way more impressive in person. I can see why you don’t want to use it all the time.” He mused, and Grillby chuckled softly,

“That was merely an intimidation act.” Frisk went over to Grillby, giving him a worried look. Sans ruffled their hair, grinning,

“Relax, kiddo. He’s fine. Grillbz was just scaring him off. Are you okay? What about Toriel?” Frisk sighed, shrugging a bit,

_“I’m fine. Toriel seems upset. She heard some stuff she didn’t want to.”_ Sans nodded, and Papyrus scooped them up into a hug,

“I bet. Let’s go home for now. We can pass on the news to Charlie that Chara’s the main threat now. Asgore’s not gonna cause any trouble now that he’s admitted defeat.” Frisk nodded, hugging Papyrus in return and looking back where Asgore had gone. They hoped he wouldn’t be killed by Chara.


	21. Turn the Tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk runs into Asgore again, and Elliot makes a decision that will affect humans and demons alike. Hopefully Charlie will take it as good news...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD THIS TOOK /FOREVER/ TO WRITE. This. THIS is where I got stumped. I knew /what/ I wanted to do, but not /how/ I wanted to do it. I sat on this chapter for, what, three months? God damn. Basically, I had ideas for other things, so I set this one aside so I could get those out and come back. But before I could get back, I had this HUGE writer's block, and I haven't been able to get any decent ideas out for at least two months. It sucks, cause I /want/ to write, but my brain /can't/ form solid ideas. But I finally got this out!! I'm so relieved. But for everyone who has stuck with it, here you go!
> 
> I feel like I'm so close to the end. There's only a few more points in the mental checklist right now. Let's hope nothing else will be added.

Frisk was surprised to meet Asgore again during the next day’s patrol. Elliot still had his trident, and Grillby greeted the tired king like an old friend. Just like he had with Sans and Papyrus. Elliot returned the weapon to Asgore, offering a handshake to greet him properly.

“Hello, Your Majesty. My name is Elliot, and I’d like to offer you a deal similar to what Grillby and I have, so other humans won’t consider you a threat.” Asgore looked surprised, then smiled warmly, nodding,

“That sounds fine.” He replied, shaking Elliot’s hand, “Thank you, young one.” Frisk stepped back to let them talk quietly and work out the details of their contract, Sans draping an arm around their shoulders, grinning,

“Elliot’s a pretty cool dude, offering Asgore that kind of protection. Then again, I heard he and Grillby were buddies a long time ago.” He cast a knowing look at Frisk, “Right, Dings?” The static hummed absently in their head, and Frisk watched their hands with interest.

_ “Correct. Asgore and Grillby have known each other since the elemental’s creation. Asgore’s affinity for fire made him a good teacher while Grillby learned to properly control his magic.” _ Gaster explained, and Frisk paused, curious,

_ What do you mean by creation? _

**_Demons are not born the same way humans are. Elementals are not created the same way demons are. You saw how Grillby was summoned, they do not manifest as flesh and blood, but as their element in a humanoid shape._ **

Frisk thought it over for a while, then smiled. That explained why they needed demons with fire magic. Frisk looked over at Elliot and Asgore as the tall demon knelt and took Elliot’s outstretched hand to accept the blood that would bind him to the human’s soul. With quiet prompting, Asgore spoke, and Frisk’s mind was filled with the roar of fire that engulfed their body. Frisk cringed away from the heat, fearing it would burn them, but the fire merely filled them with a fierce protective feeling, and an underlying gentleness. It felt… Incredibly familiar. It reminded Frisk of Toriel, but instead of being a pleasantly warm flame, this was like a carefully restrained bonfire. Once it faded, Frisk shook their head and looked at the newly bound demon. He was smiling gently at Elliot as he recovered from receiving the full force of his Name. Elliot returned the smile, rubbing his arms a little,

“Whoa. That was almost as intense as Grillby.” The elemental sparked and crackled, giving the impression of blushing as his flames burned a little hotter. Asgore chuckled and stood up, picking up his trident and making it vanish with a flick of his wrist. Frisk wondered why he hadn’t done it before, but had a feeling he needed to be holding the weapon, which earned them a small flare of static from Gaster. It wasn’t much more than a slightly louder hiss in the back of their mind, but they could feel that he was proud of them for reaching the conclusion.

“Now that that’s handled.” Sans interrupted the moment by sauntering over to the tall goat-like demon casually, “What say we introduce you to the boss of these two? It’s bound to be a riot seeing her blow a fuse when we tell her who you are.” Frisk rolled their eyes, and Elliot groaned quietly, burying his face in his hands,

“Charlie’s gonna have a conniption.” He moaned despairingly, but took a deep breath and stood tall, his face set with determination, “But it is necessary. Let’s head back, Frisk.” The young summoner nodded, jogging over to their friend, four demons following behind them.

_ We sure are a sight. _

They thought, glancing back at them. Two skeletons, a massive bipedal goat, and a humanoid flame following two humans. They’d turn heads from civilians and fellow summoners alike.

**_Call Charlie and let her know you’ll be arriving with important news._ **

Frisk blinked, wondering what Gaster had in mind, but pulled out their phone, waving to Sans, who sped up slightly to walk next to them,

“Sup, kid?” He asked, taking the offered phone before watching their hands,

_ “Would you mind calling Charlie and letting her know we need to speak with her? I don’t want to arrive without notice.” _ Sans grinned and nodded, tapping through their phone to her number and pressing call, holding the phone to his skull. Frisk watched him, hoping this would be enough for her not to get too angry at them.

“Yo, bosslady. It’s Sans.” He listened for a moment, “Yes, I’m calling from Frisk’s phone. They can’t talk, remember? Gotta get someone to talk for them. Listen, Frisk, Elliot, and the rest of us are heading back to HQ. We’ve got some news for you that’s pretty important.” He paused to listen again, then chuckled, “Let’s just say it’s pretty big news. We’ll be there in…” He glanced to Frisk, and their hands signed ‘ _ five minutes _ ’. Frisk had no idea what Gaster planned to do to get them from the quarantine zone to headquarters in five minutes, but they worried for Elliot and his demons. “Five minutes or so.” Sans’s eyes flashed a little brighter, but he offered no input while he still had Charlie listening. “Yes, that soon. Just letting you know when to expect us. Okay, later.” He hung up and handed Frisk their phone, eying them carefully, “Dings, are you serious? You’re gonna hurt the kid if you put this much strain on their body.”

_ “We are perfectly capable of performing the jump with little effect on their body. It merely requires you to actually put in some effort for once.” _ Gaster answered through Frisk, and they hoped Gaster was right. Sans had said he could only use shortcuts with one human. Now the static demon was asking him to move two humans and three demons. Sans’s expression grew irritated, but he turned to his brother, and he spoke in the static language, catching Papyrus’s attention, who replied in turn, tilting his head questioningly. Sans gestured to Frisk, or rather to the demon that shared Frisk’s head, and spoke again. Frisk didn’t understand it, and a glance confirmed that neither did Asgore, Elliot, or Grillby. They were baffled by the strange noises mixed with static. Finally Sans turned to them, sighing and rolling his eyes,

“Well, if we’re gonna do this, we might as well get started.” He grumbled, shuffling over to the three, “Okay, explanation. Me, Paps, and Gaster can get you guys there without freaking anyone out by walking around in plain daylight, or by trying to cram six people in a car. It’s gonna be uncomfortable, and feel really unpleasant, but it only lasts for about two seconds. Pap, you take Asgore. Kid, you can take Elliot. I’ll get Grillby.” Frisk nodded, moving over to their friend, who stared at them, bewildered,

“What’s going on?” He asked as Papyrus set his hand on Asgore’s arm, and Sans set his own on Grillby’s, Frisk following their example. Sans looked at Elliot, his unmoving smile hardly a smile now.

“We can take you through a shortcut to save time and avoid scaring anyone. There’s just one thing. You’ll want to hold your breath.” Frisk saw Grillby tense at the implication, and Sans looked up at him, “Relax, Grillbz. I told you, it’s only gonna last like two seconds. It’ll be uncomfortable, but it won’t hurt you.” Grillby seemed unsure, but nodded anyway. “Good. Pap, G, the stairwell on Frisk’s floor.” Papyrus nodded, and Gaster’s static crackled a little. Frisk nodded, taking a deep breath and holding it. Elliot did the same, nervous and tense as Frisk let Gaster guide their feet through the void and back onto solid ground. They were on the landing that led to the office. Elliot leaned against the wall, clearly disturbed by the abrupt transport through nothingness, and Frisk waited by their side as Papyrus and Asgore appeared soundlessly next to them, Asgore himself looking uncomfortable. Sans appeared seconds later, and Grillby’s fire flared with the abrupt return of oxygen before evening out again. Sans let go of him, making sure the elemental was steady before nodding. Frisk gave the three an apologetic smile, leading them out of the stairwell to head for Charlie’s office. The summoners around them stopped and gaped at Asgore as he trailed behind the little parade. He smiled shyly, but said nothing.

“You did WHAT?!” Charlie’s voice reached a new level of furious, and Frisk flinched under its volume. Elliot stood his ground as best he could, meeting her glare,

“I set a contract between myself and Asgore. He is bound to me now, and will no longer harm humans.” He explained it simply enough, but Charlie was still livid,

“This-  _ this _ is the demon who  _ started _ the war! The one who opened the Fissure! And you just walked up and  _ asked to bind it?! _ ” She shouted, Elliot nodding, unable to explain the situation further. Asgore coughed politely, turning her seething rage on himself,

“If I may, ma’am, young Elliot here did make a reasonable and sound decision. By setting up a contract with me, he ensured that I would cause no more harm to the humans. All that has to be done now is to convince the rest to return home where we belong.” He smiled, looking a little embarrassed, “Toriel was right. I’m a coward. I started this war without thinking of the consequences, and when I realized the number of innocent lives that would be taken by my brash decision, I was too cowardly to admit my mistake. I thought I would have to see it through.” Asgore’s shoulders slumped, and he shook his head, “I am truly a fool, and I wish to make things right. As King of the demons, it is my responsibility to lead them, and with your help- with the help of all the humans- I believe we can end this war once and for all.” Charlie stared at him intently, analyzing his face closely. Frisk stepped forward, setting a small hand on Asgore’s massive paw to get his attention.

_ “Thank you,” _ They signed,  _ “For admitting your mistake and choosing to fix it.” _ Asgore smiled, kneeling to wrap Frisk in a warm embrace.

“Thank  _ you _ , child. For showing me I was wrong. And Toriel as well.” He pulled his head back, smiling fondly at Frisk, no doubt imagining Toriel, “Thank you for bringing me to my senses. You always were the rational one. I should have listened to you.” Frisk nodded, signing for Toriel,

_ “Apology accepted, Asgore. But there is much to do before you will be forgiven by the humans and our people.” _ Asgore nodded and stood to face Charlie again, whose anger had subsided for confusion.

“Chief Summoner Charlie,” He began formally, and she snapped to attention unthinkingly, “I believe you carry one of my Royal Guard with you.” She hesitated, then nodded a little, her expression a mix of confusion and guarded curiosity, but Asgore smiled warmly all the same, “I thought so. Greater Dog, do you know the whereabouts of the other Guard Dogs?” Charlie nodded, her expression abruptly changing to a serious frown, “Contact them and tell them to spread the word to the rest of the Guard. It’s time for demons to return home. We cannot achieve victory through fighting.” Charlie nodded firmly and saluted before she regained herself, glaring fiercely at Asgore,

“Don’t  _ ever _ do that again.” She snapped, but Asgore was unphased by the threat, simply bowing respectfully,

“We shall meet again, ma’am, but for now, I believe Elliot and I will need some time to rest, and you have other pressing matters to attend to.” The small crowd that had occupied Charlie’s office shuffled out, and Elliot waved goodbye to Frisk, who smiled and waved back before Sans’s hand landed on their shoulder and the office vanished.


	22. But It Refused

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In war, sacrifices must be made.
> 
> In war, blood is spilled.
> 
> In war... Some deaths are too much to handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally heeeeeeere!!! Oh my god, I sat on this chapter for AGES. Okay, like five months, but STILL. I was stuck on how to get this where I wanted it to go, and today I sat down and said "I'm gonna finish this chapter!"
> 
> And by finish, I mean rewrite from the beginning, cause I couldn't get the original idea to go anywhere. But once I started, I couldn't stop. I sat here forrrr... around two or three hours and churned this out. I don't know what it is about me going on a writing spree that makes good stuff, but hey. Most of my well-liked stories are oneshots I write in an hour.
> 
> ANYWAY! Here we are at the final chapter! My first multi-chapter story that I ACTUALLY FINISHED! Go me!!
> 
> For those of you who are still reading this and don't like Chara cause of reasons, sorry to say this chapter's all about him.

It started with an explosion.

Frisk and Terry had just been approaching the quarantine zone when one of the buildings erupted in flame with a shockwave that made the summoners and demons sway unsteadily as they watched the structure fall away. One of the plant demons was tearing through the wreckage toward a team of summoners that was scrambling to fight back from the sudden attack. Terry took off at a run to help them, Papyrus picking Frisk up to race after her, Sans already ahead of them and doing what he could to support the summoners. Frisk called on Toriel’s magic, launching fireballs at the twisting leaves and vines of the demon. Once close enough, Papyrus set them down and charged the creature, helping Terry and Undyne. Frisk stuck close to Sans, and with their help, the demon was destroyed. The summoners thanked them for the help, but the moment was only a lull, more plants bursting out of the ground and attacking the humans. They were closing in from all sides, and corralling their targets in the center of a ring. Frisk struggled to produce enough fireballs to keep the vines at bay, and the others weren’t faring much better. More and more demons were emerging from the earth, replacing the felled ones.

One summoner collapsed from the strain on her body, and she was hauled into the middle to keep her from getting killed. Others were starting to show signs of weariness too, and Frisk clenched their teeth, refusing to submit to the exhaustion threatening their arms. A wall of flame ripped through a chunk of the demons circling them, and Elliot raced through the gap to them, Grillby and Asgore close behind. Asgore’s trident slashed through the vines, followed by bigger fireballs than Frisk could create, and Grillby was blazing white-hot as he tore apart others. The pair were a deadly team, and seeing the chance at defeating the plant demons strengthened Frisk’s resolve. They would survive. They would be okay. The combined efforts had the demons reeling back and beginning to retreat. Frisk took the chance to check on the summoner who had collapsed. She thanked them, breathless and pale, but at least conscious. Toriel moved Frisk’s hands to her head, green magic glowing from their fingers as they watched in wonder. The summoner’s complexion improved, and she stared up in awe, smiling when Frisk took their hands away,

“I-I didn’t know you could do healing magic.” She said, and Frisk smiled, shrugging. They helped her to her feet, looking to the few plant demons that lingered a couple blocks away. They weren’t attacking, but they still seemed to be waiting for something. Frisk frowned, touching Sans’s arm and glancing at him for some kind of explanation. He shook his head, sighing,

“Dunno, kid. We’re in a standoff, it seems.” He said, but his eyes never left the creatures. Papyrus stood on Frisk’s other side, protectively flanking the smaller human, while Terry and Elliot stood at the front of the group, Asgore and Grillby on either side, ready to fight back.

**_Stay alert. Something’s coming._ **

Gaster whispered, and Frisk tensed a little at the warning. Something… But what? From where? They didn’t have to wait long to get the answer. A massive vine burst from the ground, grabbing the plant creatures and dragging them into the earth. Tense moments passed before the vine appeared again, dragging a hulking form from under the earth. It could have been called a plant, but it had the mangled remains of pipes and metal wrapped in its mass of thorns and vines. As it turned to face the summoners, a massive yellow flower opened, and a disfigured face twisted into a leering grin at them, letting out a laugh that chilled Frisk to the core. They knew that face. It was bigger and far more grotesque, but it still looked like the yellow flower that had accompanied Chara. Whatever it had done, it was clearly stronger now. Gaster hissed in annoyance from the back of their head, and everyone looked on edge in the face of the hulking monstrosity staring them down. They wouldn’t win this easily.

“Frisk.” Sans said, setting a hand on their shoulder. His smile was a little strained, but he kept his tone even, “Don’t worry. Just support us as much as you can.” Frisk frowned worriedly, trying to ask how, but Sans just squeezed their shoulder and winked, “Do your best.” Frisk could only watch as Sans and Papyrus summoned a wall of bones and launched them at the demonic plant, Grillby and Asgore charging in after to attack it head on. The summoners mustered up what power they could and assisted, Undyne’s spears following waves of bones and other varied attacks. The flower monster wasn’t easily destroyed, even with their combined efforts, and seemed to brush off most of the attacks with minimal damage. Frisk summoned their own fireballs to add to the barrage, noticing with a sinking feeling that the creature was coming closer.

Toriel was getting tired, and couldn’t maintain the fireballs, forcing her to stop lending her magic. Gaster offered his own, and Frisk felt their arms go numb as Gaster took control. More bones appeared and drove through the creature, Sans glancing at Frisk before nodding briefly. His and their arm lifted, two massive bestial skulls appearing and opening their toothy maws to blast the flower with blinding energy. The sound deafened Frisk, but the creature was looking more scorched, so more were summoned, surrounding the creature and blasting it again. It let out a cry, nearly drowned out by the sound of the beams of magic punching holes through its body, yet still struggled forward, raising a thorny appendage and slamming it down, knocking them to the ground, forcing them to scatter out of the street as it let out its own blast of magic. Frisk slammed their back into a wall, Sans and Papyrus at their side. Others were hiding in the crevices of buildings, but a few weren’t so lucky, too exhausted to get out of the way in time. All that was left of them were dark smudges on the pavement. Angry tears stung Frisk’s eyes, and they twisted, raising their arm to call upon another skull and blast the flower. Sans added his own, and a barrage of bones and spears followed from Papyrus and Terry.

Elliot was near Terry, but looking strained by the amount of effort it took to keep Asgore and Grillby strong enough. Frisk thought back to the books they had read to Toriel, the familiar words filling their mind as Gaster relinquished control and let Toriel share the memory. Frisk could feel her warmth reignite, and they thought of a few more, bolstering her inner flame before darting across the street to Terry and Elliot. Sans and Papyrus would be fine while they helped their friends. They skidded to a stop behind the building just before a vine cracked through the air where they had been. They took Elliot’s hands, meeting his unfocused gaze and letting Toriel’s green magic flow from their hands. Elliot and Grillby had helped them heal their broken arm, Frisk would gladly return the gesture and give Elliot the strength to help his demons. He blinked, focusing on Frisk as his face flushed with color again, nodding in thanks. Frisk nodded back, then went to Terry, pressing a hand to her back, the slump of her shoulders starting to rise as they helped her. The glow of scales grew brighter, gleaming fins flaring on either side of her head as she summoned more spears. Sure she would be alright, Frisk raced to the other summoners. There were only three left, but Frisk offered healing to them as well, giving them the strength to keep fighting. Then, they raced back to the skeletons to take cover from another blast of magic energy, watching the battle as they caught their breath.

Asgore and Grillby were fighting valiantly, with renewed force after Frisk’s help, and the creature was struggling to get any closer, lashing out with vines and magic beams. Grillby was white-hot again, his flames getting larger and larger, until he suddenly burst out from a humanoid shape into a blazing inferno that roared in a mix of animalistic sound and fire. He looked like some kind of golem, tearing off pieces of the monstrosity before him, Asgore doing his best to burn away what he could. The creature reeled under the assault, finally, _finally_ beginning to stumble back, attacking blindly in its pain. Frisk grew hopeful that they had beaten the creature, watching it collapse as it was torn apart, more attacks from the summoners and skeletons damaging it further. The main mass of the creature grew smaller and smaller, and finally the grotesque face of the flower was ripped apart. The remnants lurched and heaved, then fell away, and the attacks stopped as a body fell from within. There was a moment of stillness, then everyone rushed forward to see who was within the remains of thorns and metal. Asgore gasped when he unearthed the body, the limp form of Chara getting lifted into his arms and cradled. Frisk hesitated, and the skeletons stayed at their side while the three summoners went to check on the child. Elliot held Terry back, Grillby slowly compacting back into a humanoid shape.

“Chara?” Asgore asked, his voice wavering as he looked at his son. He looked unconscious, covered in scratches and a few burns. “Chara can you hear me?” One summoner checked his pulse, pulling back when Chara stirred, weakly groaning. “Chara? Chara, it’s me. Say something, my child.” Frisk could hear Toriel whimper in the back of their head, but Gaster was keeping her from taking control.

“Dad…?” The child asked, barely opening his eyes to look up at the large goat. Asgore’s face melted a bit, relieved to see him awake. Chara smiled back, curling into the demon’s embrace. The summoners relaxed, one turning to his radio to call for medics, but Frisk felt the hair on the back of their neck prickle in apprehension. Chara shifted, and then jerked, Asgore going still with a sickening noise. Chara pulled back, his face split in that too-wide grin, his eyes bright red. His fist was clenched around the handle of a knife he’d driven into Asgore’s chest. Elliot cried out as his connection with Asgore was severed, collapsing to his knees. Toriel screamed in Frisk’s mind, the sound ringing in their ears as Chara wrenched the blade through the demon’s chest and then out, twisting in his slackening grip to launch at the stunned summoners. More blades appeared around the child, driving into the summoners bodies. Terry let out a furious roar, Undyne having wrenched control from her to attack the child that had just murdered the king, three humans, and their accompanying demons. Sans lashed out as well, slamming Chara into the ground and pinning him down, leaving him vulnerable to the spears and bones that ripped through him. Papyrus was too stunned to act, and the sound of Toriel’s sobs kept Frisk rooted to the spot. Chara had been inside the plant monster. He had been sharing power with the flower. He used his father’s sympathy to be able to kill him. Hot tears streamed down their face, and they stumbled back, resolve wavering. Sans’s bones faltered, and he turned to Frisk, leaving the demon child to Undyne as he grabbed Frisk’s face, forcing them to look at him,

“Frisk!! Don’t give up now! We need you!” Frisk sobbed, shaking their head and signing shakily,

_“I can’t. I can’t. Chara… He’ll kill you…”_ They sobbed again, burying their face in their hands. Sans shook them, pushing their hands away,

“Don’t say that! We’ll only lose if you give up!” He stared hard at Frisk, face set with conviction, “Frisk. I need you to laugh.” Frisk’s eyebrows came together, and they tried to protest, but Sans held their hands, “No, Frisk, listen to me.” He set one of their hands over his chest, “All those jokes I would tell you. All the puns I made. I made you laugh. That’s all I ask for.” Frisk’s eyes widened as realization dawned on their face. Sans said he would come to them when he needed to feed. He would tell Frisk jokes, and his face would light up when they laughed.

Sans’s Price was laughter.

_“I don’t know if I can.”_ Frisk signed, wiping away their tears. They couldn’t find a reason to laugh when Chara was trying to kill them all. Terry was covered in cuts, but still fighting. Elliot was on the ground, being guarded by Grillby. Papyrus was looking back at Frisk, worry in his eyes. Papyrus. Brave, confident Papyrus. Sans asked them to trust in him, and Papyrus had been able to continue fighting like he didn’t know how to be tired.

Papyrus’s Price was trust.

Frisk set their jaw, looking at Chara, the child laughing maniacally as he fought Terry. The demon child had toyed with emotions, had upset Toriel, and killed demons and humans. Frisk wouldn’t stand for it any more. They took Sans and Papyrus’s hands, a feeling welling up from deep inside them. They were facing certain death at the hands of a psychotic, bloodthirsty demon.

But Frisk _refused_. They refused to give up. They refused to die. Gaster hissed in surprise in their mind, and the human felt the new sensation spread through their whole body. It glowed red around Sans and Papyrus, and stretched out, the glow forming into a transparent shape that partly solidified into a tall, thin skeleton in black, its skull cracked over the right eye, and under the left, its mouth an empty grin. The red glow also formed a tall goat with shorter horns than Asgore’s, her face still stained with tears, but set with cold resolution. Frisk wasn’t sure what this was, or how it could manifest like this, but whatever it was… Frisk felt determined.

Chara knocked Terry away, turning to see what the red glow was, his grin widening at the five standing like a wall against him. He giggled wickedly, then leapt for them. Gaster’s hand lifted, and a wall of bones surged up from the ground, Chara crashing into them. He snarled, his knife slashing through the bones, only to be knocked back by a row of fireballs. He howled with fury, again charging them, this time Papyrus swept his hand out, and Chara was knocked aside by a column of bones. When he tried again, Sans threw him to the ground, then into a wall, then up, and into the ground again. A rain of fireballs kept him there before a circle of skulls blasted him. He staggered to his feet, glaring at Frisk, hissing with fury as he lunged. Grillby stepped into his path, and caught him, his flames heating from orange to yellow, to blue, to white. The demon screamed and writhed, unable to attack the flame, getting thrown away from them again. The child lay there, smoking for a while, then dragged himself to his feet, unsteadily glaring at the line of demons protecting the humans. He started to move forward, only to drop to his knees with a surprised grunt, Terry stepping over to the line with a toothy grin,

“You’re not going anywhere, you piece of shit.” Undyne snarled. She raised her hand, and a line of spears appeared. Toriel summoned a swathe of fireballs. Papyrus summoned bones. Grillby created a wall of flame. Sans and Gaster each summoned a row of skulls. Chara struggled to move in their weakened state, unable to avoid the combined onslaught of all of the demons. He screamed, his body falling apart as he was weakened further. Finally Sans raised his hand and a line of bones slammed through the demon’s body, and Chara spasmed before going limp, his body dissolving into ash. Silence stretched between them, then Gaster stepped up to Frisk, bowing low and giving them his empty smile.

**_“Well done, Frisk.”_ ** His voice was static, and yet they could hear the words in their head, **_“I have never seen a human empower demons with enough energy to partially manifest them like this.”_ ** He gestured to himself and Toriel, **_“If you will permit me, I would like to continue studying you and your ability while efforts to repair the human world are made.”_ ** Frisk smiled, nodding as the red glow faded, the images of Gaster and Toriel disappearing with it. The young human swayed, slumping into Papyrus’s arms as he scooped them up,

“It looks like you are very tired, Frisk. Let’s get everyone home to rest.” The tall skeleton declared, and Frisk nodded sleepily, Grillby supporting Elliot as Terry led the way to her car. There would be time to mourn losses later. For now, all Frisk could feel was the relief that the war between humans and demons could finally be ended.

Maybe, just maybe, after it was all over and the Fissure shut, demons could live side by side with humans.


End file.
